Star Wars: the Darkened Force
by Lunatic 121
Summary: Two hundred and fifty years after the fall of the Empire, darkness awakens once again. A young boy must fight this evil, even if he doesn't believe he can.
1. Chapter 1: Dreams

_Hi, this is Lunatic 121, and THIS is my first story._

_Credit to Dimensiondude for helping me with this. HE is the Star Wars fanatic, not me. I'm just the storywriter._

_So...enjoy._

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A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away… (This is where you hum the theme song) STAR WARS THE DARKENED FORCE

It has been a total of two hundred and fifty years after the fall of the empire. With the death of the Sith Lords, Sidious and Vader, has come a time of prosperity and peace for the galaxy. The Republic has been reformed and the Jedi slowly rebuild their numbers.

But despite this time of peace, danger still lurks in the dark depths of space. One man may tip the scales.

Every Jedi in the galaxy has had orders to come back to the Jedi temple on Coruscant, and so far, none of them have returned.

In the Jedi Temple, the life of one boy will never be the same again.

Chapter One: Dreams

The planet Coruscant: a planet-wide metropolis with every being the galaxy has ever known. But our story doesn't begin in the cities of Coruscant, it begins in the Jedi Temple, now rebuilt since the Jedi returned.

A young boy with Padawan-cut hair and braid was right at the entryway to the Jedi Temple that had been his home for almost six years. He couldn't have been much older than seven, was clad in white Jedi robes, and was holding a blue lightsaber in his hand, holding it in a Soresu battle position.

He stood right in front of a door in the Jedi Temple, immediately sensing that something was wrong long before he crossed the threshold. Slowly, he entered the temple and his hold on the lightsaber's handle tightened.

Inside the temple were five Jedi surrounding one man wearing the a mask with a visor. The mask itself seemed emotionless: white, save the black vocabulator just below the visor. The figure was clad in black robes similar to the boy's own, the only exception being the stone-gray armor plating that covered his chest.

The Jedi had drawn their lightsabers, which were varying in the colors green and blue. Yet the intruder didn't seem to be intimidated by their numbers; he was just standing there.

"Give up." One Jedi said, his face as cold as stone, "The Sith lost the war long time ago. Today is no different."

The person in black merely laughed a humorless laugh, then pulled off his helmet to reveal a human face. He had sickly-pale skin, greasy black hair, and blood-red eyes. His eyes seemed to be much larger than any human's and were shaped like almonds. A huge scar cut across his face and connected both ears, crossing his nose in the process.

"Lost?" the man asked in a cruel, accented voice. He reached out with the Force and a lightsaber flew into his outstretched hand. "Sidious was only the beginning." He ignited his lightsaber, which turned the color of old blood, then fresh blood, and finally open flame.

The boy watched as this "Sith Lord" spun his blade in a complex form of Jedi art, then readied it so that the bar of plasma faced behind him. "Let this remind you…" the Sith threatened, "Why the Jedi once feared the Dark."

Right there and then, one Jedi just couldn't wait anymore; he sprang. The Sith Lord backflipped to avoid it, landing on the floor. Reaching into the force, he jumped in the air and caused the floor below him to collapse into a massive hole over three meters wide. None of the Jedi knew how deep the hole was, but for some reason the Sith Lord fell right into the hole. He fell to the floor below and all remained silent.

The five Jedi, thinking he was gone, deactivated their lightsabers. The Sith were always the type to run away…but the next second, a Jedi fell to the ground, clutching his foot in agony. The Jedi Knight had a clean burn wound that started at the heel and went all the way up to his knee.

The Jedi that had fallen was dead one second later, because a crimson bar of plasma shot through the floor and stabbed him through chest. The red bar disappeared back underground the hole in the floor along with the Jedi's lightsaber.

"WHAT?!" a female Jedi exclaimed, but was more than surprised when a pair of lightsabers raced out of the hole in the ground, suspended in midair. Before she could contemplate it further, one of the crimson blades began to jab at her legs. She parried madly, filling the air with crackling plasma, then continually jumped away from the oncoming lightsabers.

One Jedi met his death after he had jumped away from a lightsaber. When he was out of harm's way, a chunk of the temple floor suddenly flew up…with the Jedi still standing on it. The chunk of debris continued rocketing upward and smashed him into the ceiling. He was crushed in an instant.

That left three Jedi against one Sith, but he had killed two of his opponents without even coming out of his hole. Whoever this Lord of the Sith was, he was certainly a far cry from Vader or Sidious.

The female Jedi parried the oncoming blades, then backflipped to avoid one final swing. She was less-than-expecting a pair of pillars on each of her sides to come crumbling down…right on top of her.

Only two Jedi remained, though one was certainly facing troubles containing himself. This Sith had killed three of their number without even trying. "Come out and face me, you coward!"

The second Jedi looked at his comrade in shock; his fellow warrior of light had just let his anger take control. The lightsabers stopped in midair, as though they had been lodged into a ray shield, then went back into the gaping hole in the ground.

For one split second, nothing happened, then another chunk of the ground exploded like a land mine and the Sith Lord jumped out of it. The Sith landed right in front of the two Jedi and he called a lightsaber into his hand.

"Coward?" the Sith Lord asked, walking towards the Jedi with a menacing glare in his eye, "The Jedi are the cowards. You were basically afraid of the dark, but WE explored its depths."

The Sith Lord pulled out his lightsaber and pointed it at the Jedi like an accusing finger. The Jedi readied his own lightsaber, green facing crimson.

The Sith charged and lashed out at the Jedi, who raised his weapon to block it. He swung for a counterattack, but when he swung, the Sith simply jumped back to avoid it. The Jedi sprang after him only to raise his blade in a maddeningly fast parry, because had he not raised his blade, he would have lost both legs.

The second Jedi charged in to assist, but the Sith Lord stood his ground and held out his hand. The force brought a second lightsaber into his hand and he parried the oncoming attack. To make matters more impressive…the attack was from behind him.

The Sith Lord mentally smiled to himself. He had seen this Jedi art before: blocking and occasionally attacking to get an insight of what he was up against. But he had come prepared by preparing his own form of lightsaber combat: the Art of the Nexu. He would move with the flexibility of the late Darth Maul, but retained enough focus to keep an eye on his opponent. Since this was his own original art, his Jedi opponent stood no chance.

The Sith flipped in midair to block an oncoming swing, then sprang at the Jedi and swung his crimson blade at him. The Jedi blocked it and the Sith quickly flipped backward to avoid another swing. The instant the Sith landed on his feet, he jumped backwards and slashed at the Jedi who was behind him. He was blocked, but that was what he wanted. He landed RIGHT in front of the second Jedi and used the Force to send him flying away.

The Jedi first Jedi swung at the Sith, who spun on his heel to parry with his lightsaber. Both pushed against each other, their weapons crackling in the process. The Jedi pushed away, then tried to slash at him…half a second too slow. Lightning forked from the Sith's fingertips and electricity pulsed through the Jedi's body, causing him to scream in pain. The Sith was going to shock him to death, slowly and painfully. Eventually, the Jedi succumbed to the pain and fell to the floor… never to rise again.

The Sith smiled in a maniacal way and chuckled, then turned around to face the last Jedi, the Jedi pulled out a lightsaber but the Sith lifted a finger, and with a twitch of the Force, the lightsaber went flying out of the Jedi's hand.

The last Jedi raised an eyebrow, then pulled out some sort of device and pointed it at the Sith, who did not resist, his crimson lightsabers hanging at his side, passively. The Jedi stared wide-eyed at the device.

"Your Midi-Chlorian levels…" he said in total awe, "They're…"

The Sith was right in front of the Jedi in the blink of an eye, then took his fiery lightsaber and ran the Jedi through with it. He then put his head right next to the Jedi's ear and whispered, with a serpentine smile, "Over fifty-thousand."

The Sith pulled his lightsaber out of the dying Jedi, then turned around to face the child. "Why, hello child." The Sith greeted, causing the boy to raise his lightsaber, "I didn't notice your presence before. Let this be a reminder as to why the Sith are superior to the Jedi."

"You're not from this galaxy…" The Sith turned to see the dying Jedi still wheezing enough words to speak. "Are you?"

The Sith paused and turned around to look at the Jedi, who was now staggering to his feet. "You're absolutely correct. But, why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

The Jedi looked the Sith in the eye, then answered, "So that the child knows."

The Sith laughed a humorless laugh. "For what good it will do." He raised his lightsaber and pointed it at the boy, who took a step back. "He won't live to see the light of day."

The dying Jedi summoned the last bit of strength he had left in him and the ceiling started to crumble. "RUN, BOY! RUN!" the Jedi roared as he used the last of his strength to bring the whole roof of the Jedi temple crumbling down. The Sith gasped in surprise and put his hands up to defend himself.

The Sith used the Force to shield himself from the debris, but it seemed to be getting harder and harder as the building chunks simply piled on top of him. The boy ran just as the dying Jedi used another hand to bring the entryway to the Jedi Temple down.

11 years later…

A young man shot upright in his bead, realizing that he was in a cold sweat and gasping for breath. That was the third time in a month that he'd had this dream.

He was a well-built young man with finely tuned muscles, brown hair that stuck up like grass, and sapphire-blue eyes. The man looked at his alarm clock.

"Four in the morning?" he asked in shock, then pressed his forehead into his hand, "Man I wish I could have woken up a bit later…another three hours later." He said to himself

He laid back into his bed and tried to go back to bed. But still, thoughts of what had happened in the dream echoed in his head. "But this dream…it was a lot more realistic then any of the others. And it's far from fragmented."

The young man suddenly shot back up in his bed as something hit him. "OH CRAP!" he cursed, "I forgot to finish the droid father asked me to finish."

So he got up and walked over to some metal form of some kind of strange droid. It was time to get to work…

_Prepare for a long night Haduun Jaal._

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_Hey, hope you like this story so far. Dimensiondude and I will be working as hard as we can on chapter 2, without over doing it. We will be working on it Monday through Wednesday. And again I have NO IDEA when Chapter 2 will come out, probably sometime this week if we're lucky._

_On another note we have a voice cast for the Sith Lord and Haduun (The man at the end)_

_Sith Lord: Luke Goss (Prince Nuada, Hellboy 2 The Golden Army)  
Haduun: Steve Burton (Cloud Strife, Kingdom Hearts series)_


	2. Chapter 2: Haduun

Hi this Lunatic 121, bringing you Star Wars the Darkened Force. Hope you enjoy it!

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Chapter 2: Haduun

The man who called himself Haduun was working on the droid that his father asked him to finish. He had been working on it since four in the morning now.

The droid was an impressive piece of work; it could have been human: a human who was two meters tall and made of metal. It may have lacked the proper coating of most droids, but it certainly wasn't like the stiff protocol droids that most people used across the galaxy.

The droid had a humanoid head, its glowing, yellow eyes prominent from its silvery-metallic body. Circuits could be seen in its joints and its shoulders had metallic pads on them. Its special joints could rotate a full three hundred and sixty degrees like the long-late General Grievous. The hands of this droid were made for one specific purpose: to hold any weapon from a blaster to a lightsaber.

"Three…" Haduun said, finishing up on his work, "Two…one…"

The alarm clock finally rang loud enough to wake a sleeping Rancor. Haduun flinched, then sighed as he motioned with his hand. The alarm clock stopped in an instant.

About a minute later, an old man with white hair, a beard, and a kindly expression on his face walked in and saw Haduun working on the droid. "Making the finishing touches?" the old man asked.

Haduun nodded and answered, "Yup. Just finished up…hold on." Haduun noticed that a shoulder pivot was loose and set to work immediately. He reached out with his hand behind and a wrench on the workbench flew into his hand.

The old man folded his arms and coughed, catching the attention of Haduun. "You know you're not supposed to do that, Haduun." He scolded.

Haduun almost used the Force to put the wrench away, but he quickly took in what the man said. He simply got to his feet and placed the wrench back on the workbench. "Sorry, father." He apologized.

Haduun's father unfolded his arms. "It's alright. I understand that those who have power have the urge to use it." He said, his expression softening, "But you must learn not to use this power unless you have to. By the way, is the droid ready?"

"I just finished." Haduun answered.

Haduun reached behind the droid's head and pressed the button. The droid's eyes flashed to life and shakily stood up, taking in its surroundings.

On noticing its surroundings and the people around it, the droid spoke in a light, British accent. "Hello, my name is IR-JK: Intellectual Robotic Jedi Knight."

Haduun's father seemed surprised at this. "I'm impressed…but I have one thing to say." Haduun's father held up his index finger and continued. "We should come up with a different name for the droid. Because I think people would find it suspicious if it was called a Jedi Knight."

"I already took care of it, father." Haduun answered, standing up to reveal he was an inch taller than his father. "His other name will be IR-MD: Intellectual Robotic Master of Droids."

"Impressive." His father said, fingering his beard, "What kind of droid is he?"

"An Omni-Droid." Haduun answered, "If I'm right, and I usually am, he should be able to perform several functions."

"Great!" the father said, actually impressed, "He can help me with my work."

"No, he can't help you…yet." Haduun corrected.

"Why not?"

"He's just a prototype." Haduun answered.

"Ah, but he's a GOOD prototype." Haduun's father filled in, "But enough talk, you need to get to breakfast. And you need to get ready for school."

"I'll be right down." Haduun told him, "I have to make a few touches to IJ."

"IJ?" the father asked.

"That's what I'll be calling IR-JK from here on in." Haduun filled in.

Haduun's father chuckled, then said, "Alright."

Father left the room and left Haduun to his business. As he got a tool from a workbench, via the force since his father wasn't looking, IR-JK asked, "What will you need help with, master?"

"Combat. Just in case anyone suspects that I have Force powers, you've been programmed to be part battle-droid." Haduun answered.

IJ started in surprise, or perhaps it was the special data jack that Haduun had put in his processor. "Oh dear…"

"Relax." Haduun assured him, "I've equipped you with a decent arsenal of weapons: rocket launchers, stun blasters, lightsabers, electrostaffs, and a fusion cutter."

IJ cocked his head to one side as data on all forms of combat and uses for each weapon. "You've certainly been busy, haven't you?" IJ asked, impressed.

Haduun nodded. "And, to help you hold your weapons, you have arms that can split into two extra arms giving you a total of four arms."

Haduun pulled the data jack from IR-JK and the droid pulled out a lightsaber and activated it. Its energy blade was white, pure white, with absolutely no other color to it.

"Any other programs you installed?" the droid asked, deactivating and sheathing the lightsaber.

"Just a few work programs. Nothing too fancy, just common chores." Haduun filled in. He got to his feet, then said, "IJ, switch to standby mode and rest up. I'll trust that you'll have enough to do tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." IJ said, nodding his metal head. His lamp-like eyes flicking off. Haduun exited his room, then turned right to descend a staircase.

Haduun lived on Naboo: a lush, green planet that was close to the Republic…or at least had been. He had learned some time ago that the Republic was in turmoil and close to yet another collapse. He knew that he wasn't from this planet, that he was from Coruscant, but he couldn't remember anything past the age of eleven.

After some incident he had no memory of, he was moved to Naboo where he was adopted into a loving family. He didn't know it, but he was an orphan and given to the Jedi so that they could take care of him. From what he remembered of the Jedi Temple, he certainly preferred this. He now lived in a two-story house out in the country, had a family, friends, and even went to the Naboo Royal Academy.

He personally couldn't have asked for anything more…

As Haduun reached the first floor, he turned left and came into a room with his Father, a woman who was evidently his Mother and his teenage sister. Haduun walked past his little sister to take a seat on the kitchen table.

"You okay, Haduun?" the girl asked.

Haduun turned on being addressed, then answered, "Don't worry, Alleina. Just finished up on the new droid."

Alleina cocked her head to the side slightly as she asked, "It's done?"

Haduun nodded, then took a bite out of his toast. His mother, on the other hand, asked, "And this will be a droid that can help us with our chores?"

"Yeah." Haduun said, making sure to swallow his toast first. Right there and then, Haduun got a good look at the time. "Dang it!" he cursed, "I'm late for classes!"

Haduun proceeded to scarf down the rest of his breakfast, grab his backpack and give his mom a quick kiss on the cheek before walking out the door. He got in his speeder and was soon sailing across the grassy plains of Naboo.

The Capital City of Naboo was only a few miles from where Haduun lived, so it didn't take long for him to arrive in the streets of Theed. He spotted a high, impressive-looking building and took off at a sprint toward it.

Haduun walked across the threshold for about five seconds, then stopped. He took a quick look-around to make sure no one was watching, then bent down and he touched three different floor tiles.

The three panels slid back to reveal a hidden compartment opened up to reveal a secret staircase. As soon as he reached the bottom, he reached out with the Force and a switch on the wall flicked the opposite direction. The hidden entrance shifted closed again…but not before something snuck in without making a sound or even being seen.

Haduun continued down the hidden corridor until he reached the end of the hall. He touched a scanner on the wall and a metallic ball came out of the wall to hover in front of him. Haduun sighed and put his fingers on the metal orb, which beeped in recognition. The metallic ball went back into the wall and the hologram showed Haduun's fingerprints. A little scanner came out and scanned the young man's facial features. It went through a series of people before coming to an exact match.

"Match found." A quiet, robotic voice confirmed, "Haduun Jaal."

A door slid closed and the room that Haduun was in descended like an elevator. The door opened once again to show a classroom where all of the students were sitting in their chairs. Haduun hadn't even taken five steps when he got hit in the face with a spitball.

"After several thousand years that joke is still funny." A Rodian boy said in Huttese.

Haduun plucked the spitball off him, then pointed out, "You're a genius, Vorta, everybody knows that." He then pointed out, "Especially by how high YOUR grades are."

Vorta snorted. "You musta gotten it mixed up, Haduun." He said, proudly, "I got straight A's. Your highest grade was D+" To emphasize his point, he blew another spitball at Haduun, who caught it with his hand. The same trick wouldn't work twice with him.

Haduun sighed, then by using the force, was able to sense Vorta's thoughts.

_Oh, man I hope he didn't see my report card. I failed that so badly. I think my highest score was a C-._

"On the contrary." Haduun I think that your highest score was a C-. My highest grade was an A-, my lowest grade was a C+."

Before the Rodian could so much as shout a defense, the teacher walked in. She was a Mon Calamari, her fish-like head easily distinguishable among the students. Her skin was a deep reddish-orange and her eyes were prominent and bright orange. She wore a skintight black suit that covered her entire body with a light-gray robe over it. This was Ms. Makko, the lecture mistress of the Theed Secret Institute.

"What's going on here?" she asked with a common Mon Calamari accent.

Vorta, wanting to avoid trouble when it came, quickly sat back in his seat while Haduun simply got to his own. The latter of the two did, however, respond to his teacher. "Sorry I'm late, ma'am. I got held up."

Ms. Makko eyed Haduun in a manner that said, "don't let it happen again", then held up a small, wooden case. "I've returned from Coruscant in one piece, but this time, I've returned with something very valuable."

The students leaned in closer as the fishlike teacher opened the case and slowly turned it around. Inside was a metal rod that, to the ordinary mind may have looked like no more than a simple hunk of alloys. But everyone, especially Haduun, recognized it as…

"I have with me, a lightsaber that was used by the Jedi, or possibly the long-dead Sith."

"Dead?"

Everyone turned at the sound of the deep, masculine voice to see a man of sorts, wearing a white mask and black robes: the same man from Haduun's dreams.

"In hiding, maybe, but dead? We were far from it." The man said, striding forward, earning himself odd glances from the class.

"Maybe there are fewer of us than I prefer," he added, "But we are still very much alive."

Ms. Makko didn't like the way he simply stood there, but she also didn't know how she got past the security programs without being detected. "Security!" she yelled, "Somebody get security down here!"

At first, she wondered why no one came, but her answer came when three aliens fell through the ceiling and landed right in front of the Sith. It was almost as though they were glued to the ceiling and suddenly released.

"If you're a Sith Lord, then you would have known they were there and killed them by now." She pointed out, the guards getting back to their feet and aiming blasters at this…thing.

The "Sith" turned his head to look at Ms. Makko. The Mon Calamari teacher couldn't see it, but he was probably smiling under that mask of his.

"Oh, but I did know they were there." The Sith Lord pointed out, "I just wanted to use them as a demonstration; a demonstration of my TRUE strength."

The "Sith Lord" spread his arms out like wings just as the guards were about to fire. Suddenly, blue lightning forked from his fingertips and killed coursed through their bodies. He released his lightning and all three guards dropped to the ground. They were dead before they even hit the floor.

Ms. Makko stared in utter shock and asked, in barely a whisper, "Who are you?" By now, she was QUITE convinced that this was a Sith.

The Sith Lord looked up at the Mon Calamari. "Me?" he said, a lightsaber flying to his outstretched hand. As it ignited into a blade the color of fire, he answered, "I'm the one who killed all the Jedi eleven years ago."

"That's impossible!" Ms. Makko sputtered, trying to make sense of it all, "The Sith who killed the Jedi was crushed; killed."

The Sith Lord snorted. "Wrong. I was PRESUMED dead." He corrected, "But I have returned to claim the galaxy for the Sith, and I will slaughter all who resist me." He pointed his lightsaber at the teacher like a finger as he finished, "Starting with you."

The Sith, rather than use his lightsaber, opened his free hand and thrust it forward. He used the Force to push the Mon Calamari so hard that she crashed into the wall of the room with a CRUNCH. Her eyes stared into nothingness, for there was no life left in her.

The Sith pointed to Ms. Mako's body and looked at the frightened class. "THIS is what will happen to those who dare resist me. Fear my name, for you shall never hear it again." The Sith Lord spun his lightsaber, then positioned it so that the bar of plasma faced behind him. "I am Darth ERADICUS!"

Eradicus decided to get down to business and chose his first target: Haduun. Haduun reacted the instant Eradicus sprang. He summoned the lightsaber from the case that Ms. Makko had opened, activated it to reveal a sky-blue plasma blade, and blocked Eradicus' swing.

Eradicus raised an eyebrow, though no one could see it under his mask, then deactivated his lightsaber. The Sith then pulled off his mask to reveal his face and several people screamed. Haduun's eyes widened at the sight: the same…thing from his dreams.

"You use the power of the Force, boy?" Eradicus asked

Haduun kept his sky-blue lightsaber at the ready. Eradicus was a foot taller than he was, but he didn't care. When he was younger, he had gone toe-to-toe with people much bigger than himself. This was no different.

"What is your name?" Eradicus asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Haduun pointed the lightsaber at Eradicus, not wanting to show any kind of fear to the Sith. He knew that was what they wanted. "My name is Haduun Jaal, Jedi Knight." He answered.

Eradicus paused for a minute, then chuckled. The chuckle turned to light laughter, then he burst into a cackle. "Jedi Knight?" Eradicus asked in disbelief, "You honestly think that just because you have a lightsaber, and have force powers makes you a Jedi Knight?"

Haduun didn't answer, he felt it would be better not to. Especially in the face of the Sith.

"But why, I ask, didn't I detect YOUR power?" Eradicus asked, pointing a clawed finger at Haduun.

Haduun still didn't answer, but it was apparent that it REALLY ticked off Eradicus. "Are you a mute? If not then SPEAK TO ME!" the dark lord barked.

Haduun flinched, but regained his posture. "I don't know." He answered, coolly.

Eradicus paused, then squinted his large eyes at him. "You seem familiar." He said, circling the Jedi, who eyed him carefully, "Have I met you before?" It suddenly hit Eradicus right there and then. He wondered why he didn't see it before.

"I see now…" Eradicus said, igniting his crimson blade again, "You were that boy I tried to kill on the night I wiped out the Jedi."

Haduun was a little surprised, but was cut off by Eradicus before he could even ask a question.

"I have sensed your thoughts, boy." Eradicus said, pointing his red lightsaber at him like an accusing finger, "You've had dreams of me, of a creature so powerful in the Force, a creature beyond your worst nightmares." Eradicus got slightly closer as he filled in, "They weren't dreams, but flashbacks to a lost memory."

"Now then," Eradicus said, taking his lightsaber in a defensive position, "I had better finish what I started: annihilate the last of the Jedi."

"Go, now." Haduun said, possibly referring to both Eradicus and his classmates.

The class backed away very slowly, sensing a battle. Once out of the hall, they ran for their lives.

Haduun kept his eye on Eradicus. "Why did you come?" the young Jedi asked.

"I needed that lightsaber you're holding." Eradicus answered, pointing at the sky-blue blade. "I thought it would be boring to simply take it, but now it might be more of a challenge." Eradicus smiled to show that his teeth were triangular and serrated, like the teeth of some predatorial fish.

At that moment, Haduun just couldn't wait anymore. He sprang. Eradicus met him in midair, but rather than land on his feet, Haduun had put too much weight into forward movement. So, when Eradicus moved to the side, Haduun ended up stumbling forward.

_Amateur. _Eradicus thought to himself with a grin, _He doesn't know the FIRST thing about lightsaber combat. I'll polish him off quickly…_

Darth Eradicus took his turn and his lightsaber turned into a flurry of red light. Haduun had barely sensed him coming and raised his lightsaber to meet each and every strike. What amazed him even more was that he did it without even leaving the ground.

_What is this? _Lord Eradicus asked himself, _A minute ago, he didn't even know a youngling's worth of experience. Now, he seems to have unconsciously triggered something…_

Eradicus decided to experiment and raised a hand. A piece of the wall tore itself free of the wall and hurtled itself at Haduun, who used a free hand to defend. The chunk of debris froze in its tracks, but quickly dropped to the ground when Darth Eradicus struck out with his lightsaber.

Haduun and Eradicus were locked in a test of strength, their blades crackling so close to their faces they could smell the ozone. Eradicus pulled back, then flipped backward to avoid a fan of blue plasma. He landed back on his feet and held out his hand just as Haduun held out his own. Lightning forked from Eradicus' fingertips, but Haduun actually absorbed the lightning in his palm. Eradicus stopped, then sharply raised his lightsaber, because Haduun was just about ready to send it back at him. Eradicus' blade absorbed the lightning until the electrical force dissipated.

Darth Eradicus chuckled, then sheathed his blade, fastening the lightsaber handle to his belt. "Well done, boy." The Sith Lord congratulated, applauding slightly. "Unfortunately, you have yet to taste the FULL potential of the Force."

Eradicus held out a hand and focused intently on it. One second, it was about as normal as it could get, but the next, there was some kind of small orb of bluish energy. The orb was very small: it wasn't even the size of a marble, yet pulsated with a massive amount of energy.

"Do you know what this is, Jedi?" Eradicus asked, showing the Jedi the small energy orb.

Haduun shook his head, but kept his lightsaber lit in case the Sith Lord tried something.

"THIS is a ball of compressed Force energy." Eradicus answered, "This little piece of energy has the power to destroy a single starship." Eradicus showed his sharpened teeth in a grin as he suggested, "Now imagine how far that will send a human flying…"

Haduun didn't like the sound of that, not one bit. It made him grip the handle of his blue lightsaber all the tighter.

Darth Eradicus pulled the hand with the force push back. "Now, Jedi…" he said, venomously, "DIE!" The last part of that sentence was a loud roar.

Without even thinking of the consequences, without knowing what he was doing, Haduun had pulled his own hand back and summoned a Force push of his own. Darth Eradicus' eyes widened in surprise as the small marble of Force energy left his palm and levitated towards Haduun's own.

The two Force energies drew ever closer until they finally touched. BANG! The two force pushes, on contact with each other, exploded like a proton grenade. Haduun went sailing through the door and right out of the classroom, where he slammed into the main exit and crumpled to the floor. Eradicus had also been sent flying, only he wound up crashing into the end of the hall, where he too crumpled.

Haduun stood up and, with the help of the Force, ran from the classroom at above-human speed. Eradicus slowly stood up and used the force to summon his helmet, which flew into his hand in an instant. Eradicus put the helmet back on and said, in a low, dangerous-sounding voice, "Don't think you can run from me, boy."

Haduun ran to the one place that he knew others would be in danger: home. He got back in his speeder and was rocketing home as fast as his machine could go.

Haduun winced at the pain in his side. He had just noticed it now, but then he remembered that one doesn't get smashed through a door and walk out without a scratch.

"Dang…" he growled, wincing at the pain in his ribs, "It was bad enough with school bullies, but now…"

Haduun stopped when he reached his house and he leapt out of his speeder in an instant. He sprinted through the doorway and slammed the door behind him. His father, mother, and sister came down with urgent looks on his face.

"Haduun!" Alleina said in surprise, "What's wrong?"

Haduun didn't answer, rather he answered in a swift, decisive voice, "No time to explain. We have to leave NOW!"

Before anyone could react to what the member of their family just said, something had whizzed past Haduun, knocking him to the side. As he stood, he got a sudden, sick feeling of déjà vu.

Darth Eradicus was pointing his crimson lightsaber at Haduun's family, who were all standing back cringed in fear. Haduun activated his own lightsaber, and held it in Soresu position.

"Let them go." He growled, his voice low and threatening.

Eradicus laughed from under his mask, then asked, "Now why would I do that when I'm willing to make a deal?"

Haduun slightly lowered his lightsaber. "What deal?"

Eradicus got ever closer to Haduun's mother and gently stroked the side of her face. But the simple touch made her quiver in fear. "I'm willing to let your family live. If…"

Haduun asked, through clenched teeth, "If what?"

"You become my apprentice."

Haduun glowered at Eradicus, then asked, "Become the apprentice of the man who killed the ENTIRE Jedi Order?" He readied his lightsaber again. "I'd rather die."

"Don't be boring, Jedi." Eradicus said, almost casually, "Everyone who's ever said that has perished."

"Then I suppose you should get it over with." Haduun challenged.

Eradicus simply looked at Haduun like a predator at its prey, then nodded. "As you wish."

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Yes, I know it's longer than the first chapter. But I needed to do it, credit to Dimensiondude for editing. Lastly I won't be updating for a little bit, I have to think. Have a very Loony day!


	3. Chapter 3: Truth

Hey everybody welcome to the third chapter of the Darkened Force. Sorry we haven't updated sooner, we both have schoolwork to do. I also needed time to think on how this story will play out. Credit to Ddude for editing. Without him this fic wouldn't be as good as it is. I don't own Star Wars, that's George Lucas people.

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Chapter 3: Truth

Haduun glowered at Eradicus, then asked, "Become the apprentice of the man who killed the ENTIRE Jedi Order?" He readied his lightsaber again. "I'd rather die."

"Don't be boring, Jedi." Eradicus said, almost casually, "Everyone who's ever said that has perished."

"Then I suppose you should get it over with." Haduun challenged.

Eradicus simply looked at Haduun like a predator at its prey, then nodded. "As you wish."

Eradicus brought out his lightsaber, but rather than kill his family, the Dark Lord sprang at Haduun instead. On landing, he unleashed a flurry of attacks with his lightsaber. Haduun met each attack with a movement of his own saber, then reached out with the force. Furniture tore itself from the room and flew at Eradicus like projectiles, but the Sith Lord showed no fear. He jumped to spin in a kind of pirouette and carved the decorative furniture to pieces.

Eradicus scowled under his helmet, then used the force to throw, not furniture, but pieces of the wall. Haduun reacted fast and used the force to jump out of the debris's way. But when the Jedi Knight landed, Eradicus was there to meet him with a pair of whirling crimson blades. One slash nearly beheaded Haduun, and a swift raise of his blade saved him by mere inches.

Haduun was amazed at his opponent's agility and skill with two blades. The humming that the two blades produced as they raced through the air could almost amaze whoever heard them. Often at times, Darth Eradicus would backflip through the air, his lightsabers held close to his body, and he wasn't even burning himself.

Haduun jumped after Eradicus, and soon, the two were ascending the staircase while his family could only watch, helplessly, down below. Fans of blue met streaks of red and the air was rich with the sound of crackling lightsabers. There hadn't been a lightsaber duel on Naboo so fierce since two Jedi went up against a single Lord of the Sith centuries ago.

Haduun pushed harder and harder in his attack on Eradicus, who met his every attack and countered with a few of his own. Eradicus noticed an astromech droid that was in his way, and a movement of his hand sent the squealing droid flying away. Eradicus parried one of Haduun's strikes, then planted the heel of his boot into the Jedi's midsection. The result was that Haduun flew backward over the railway and landed on the floor below. Eradicus sprang after him, one of his lightsabers sheathed while the other one pointed down for a killing blow. Haduun rolled backward, putting himself back on his feet, and Eradicus ended up burning a hole into the floor instead of Haduun's midsection.

Haduun pulled back his hand, then launched it forward to use a Force push, to which Eradicus almost slammed into the wall. Eradicus, instead of crashing into the wall, flipped in midair and landed, feet-first, on the wall instead. He sprang off the wall to land behind Haduun and tried to slash at his opponent. Eradicus, however, had seen it coming. He reached forward and produced Sith Lightning unlike any that had seen before. Eradicus' Sith Lightning was different from the first time he used it back at the school. This lightning was as black as deep space with a burning-red glow to it.

As the dark lightning coursed through Haduun's body, an unbelievable pain coursed through his body: pain that he had never felt in his entire life. Haduun raised his hand, remember that some Jedi could catch Sith Lightning and absorb it. But when he raised his hand, he produced lightning of his own. It wasn't the color black, blue, red, but white with a golden glow. It was also apparent that Haduun's Lightning and Eradicus' Lightning were evenly matched, because they clashed repeatedly, filling the air with crackles.

Haduun activated a small device on his belt with one hand while his other kept the Sith Lightning at bay. "IJ!" he hissed, "Switch to attack mode!"

In Haduun's bedroom, IR-JK's eyes turned on, and the Omni-Droid sprang into action. The droid sprinted down the stairs and threw an electrostaff at Eradicus. The Sith Lord, however, caught it with the Force while at the same time using Lightning to hold Haduun back.

Eradicus turned the weapon around in the air to point at IJ. IR-JK obviously didn't like the intention that the weapon was going to be used for, so he quickly pulled a blaster out of a compartment in his leg. Red energy burst from the barrel to fly at Eradicus, who spun Electro-Staff to deflect the blast to Haduun. Haduun broke free of the lightning fight in time to both avoid injury and block the oncoming blast.

Alleina watched the battle unfold as her brother and the Sith exchanged blows. There was nothing she could do, but then something extraordinary happened. Haduun's words traveled through her head, but her brother hadn't spoken.

_Oh man, I wish they would just get out of here. The longer they stay, the bigger the threat this guy becomes._

Alleina had actually used the Force, albeit unintentionally, then moved. "We have to get out of here." She said, prodding her parents.

"And just let him die?" her mother asked in disbelief.

"There's nothing we can do." Alleina reasoned, "If we stay here, we'll only get killed."

Haduun's father understood and hurried over to IR-JK, placing something in the droid's hand. "Give this to Haduun as soon as possible." The father said, hurriedly.

IJ nodded. "Understood, sir." The droid said with a nod. Without another word, Haduun's father took his mother and made for the back door for their escape.

The duel between Jedi and Sith continued with a flurry of lightsaber slashes, Force Pushes, and lightning strikes. But it soon became apparent that Eradicus wanted to end the fight here and now. He dropped the electrostaff that was thrown at him, then lunged forward and used both hands to use a Sith Lightning so powerful that the glass behind Haduun shattered.

Haduun quickly tried to use both hands to catch the lightning, but Eradicus overpowered him too quickly. The young Jedi was not adept at catching Sith lightning, which hit him full-on. Eradicus kept the lightning up, then used the Force to send the Jedi flying into the back door.

Haduun collided with such force that it blew open, and he tumbled across the grass until he came to a screeching halt. Just a few meters away from him, thankfully, was his speeder.

Haduun attempted to get up, but the pain was still too much for him to handle. Haduun managed to crawl on all fours and actually got close enough to touch the speeder. One second later, however, the speeder crumpled like cheap paper and levitated higher into the air.

"I don't think so, Jedi scum." The cold voice of Eradicus growled, his hand held up slightly. With a flick of his wrist, the Sith Lord sent the speeder flying away to explode in a blossom of fire.

Haduun attempted to crawl away, but with his current injuries, he wasn't going to go anywhere in a hurry. He had been electrocuted, shot through a closed door, and exhausted. Eradicus walked up behind the crawling Jedi, then slammed his foot onto Haduun's back. Haduun froze as a hiss pierced the air closely followed by a low hum of a lightsaber blade. Eradicus pointed his crimson blade at the back of Haduun's head.

"This is my last offer, Jedi." Eradicus said, Haduun not even bothering to turn and face him, "Join me or die."

Haduun remained silent for a while, then answered, "Well, then you'd better kill me. I will never join the Dark Side."

Eradicus sighed. He had seen this coming so many times that it wasn't even fun anymore. "So unwise." He raised his crimson blade over his head. "But that's the Jedi for you, always avoiding the dark…" Eradicus didn't sound sorry, not even in the slightest. "Now, DIE!"

Eradicus almost brought his lightsaber down when something pushed him: something so strong that it sent him flying to the side. Haduun rolled over to see his sister, Alleina, had her hand outstretched.

"Alleina…" Haduun said in amazement. Had his sister actually used the Force. He pushed it out of his head and used the Force to summon his lightsaber, which had fallen out of his hands when he flew out the door. The handle raced into his hand and into his grip, but when Haduun attempted to stand up, he fell back down.

"Haduun!" Alleina said, rushing over to him.

IR-JK came out of the house holding a lightsaber the color of a cloud. "Haduun!" he called out, then spotted the figure in the grass, "Master!"

IR-JK watched in horror as Eradicus stood back up, though his lightsaber was mysteriously missing, and slowly walked toward the injured Haduun. Alleina spotted the Sith Lord and attempted to Force Push him again. Eradicus saw it coming, though, and lightning forked from his fingertips to course through her body. Her screams gave the Sith Lord pleasure, giving him even more as she fell to the ground right next to Haduun. She was still conscious, but in complete agony.

"Another wielder of the Force?" Eradicus asked, his voice hinting mild amusement. He removed his helmet and Alleina recoiled in fright of his pale face. Eradicus turned to Haduun, who was now barely conscious. "If you won't join me, Haduun, then maybe this little girl will…"

Alleina slowly stood to look Eradicus in the eye. "Never." She snapped at him, her eyes burning right into his.

"Is that so?" Eradicus asked, indifferently. He lifted Alleina into the air with the Force, invisible fingers around her throat. "But maybe I can make you see differently…"

With a very forced-sounding roar, IJ bravely charged at Eradicus and swung with his white lightsaber. Eradicus sidestepped the attack, then lifted the droid up into the air with the force.

"Pathetic being of metal." Eradicus growled, throwing him across the grassy plain. IJ rolled on contact with the ground and collapsed, not even trying to get back up. "I'm ashamed that it has come to this." Eradicus said with mock-lament, "Had you cooperated, Jedi, your sister would have lived. Are you SURE you don't want to change your mind?"

"Even if he did join you, you still would have destroyed him." Alleina growled, despite the pressure on her throat, "The Sith always betray one another. Why should you be any different?"

Eradicus didn't answer, because at that moment, something strange and powerful just happened. Haduun stood up slowly and deliberately, as if he had just woken up from a long sleep. When he spoke, his voice was strong and had a unique echo in it.

"Eradicus." Haduun said, earning an odd stare from the Sith Lord, "You will not harm her or any other beings."

Eradicus cocked the brow over his huge, almond-shaped eye. "Will I now?" he asked, mildly amused.

"I will be the cause of your downfall." Haduun said, his lightsaber finding his hand in an instant.

Eradicus now looked openly concerned. Although Haduun's lips were moving, he felt that it wasn't the boy that was talking. "I take it that you're NOT Haduun, are you?"

"Yes," Haduun said, "And no."

Eradicus released Alleina, then unclipped his lightsaber. "You claim you can destroy me, but you have yet to prove it." A crimson blade burst from the lightsaber handle.

Eradicus sprang from the spot so suddenly that he seemed to vanish. A split second later, the Lord of the Sith swung his blade at Haduun, intending with every bit of his being to end the Jedi's life. Haduun wasn't worried, however, and blocked the oncoming attack. The strange thing about it, though, was the fact that Haduun was matching Eradicus move-for-move, even though the Sith's moves were so fast that it was all a blur to the naked eye. Before Eradicus pulled back from Haduun to get a better look, he noticed that Haduun's eyes had turned a very bright blue.

_This is quite a challenge…_ Eradicus thought to himself,_ A minute ago he was weaker than a youngling, but now he rivals my own strength._

Eradicus charged again, this time taking out his other lightsaber. Now with a blade in each hand, he was twice as deadly before, swapping to a new fighting style: the Acklay style. This move rarely involved jumping, rather it would be more of a run-and-strike style. He continually lashed out at the Jedi with his lightsabers, being sure to keep at a close range to ensure that his opponent couldn't back away.

Haduun, however, met each strike with perfect composure, never moving his blade more than needed. It seemed that now, like the long-dead Obi-Wan Kenobi, the boy had become a master of Soresu: the most common of all Jedi Arts.

The two continued their deadly duel, matching each other blade-for-blade. Eradicus swung with both of his blades only to meet Haduun's sky-blue blade, the two ending up pushing against each other's blades, filling the air with crackling plasma.

Eradicus was suddenly caught off-guard, and when he jumped back, he realized that his left hand was holding only half a lightsaber. A subtle change of angle had managed Haduun to cleave the weapon in two. The Sith Lord wasn't hurt, but he now recognized Haduun as a threat and knew that he had to be eliminated.

Eradicus dropped his now-useless lightsaber and held out his hand. A compressed orb of flowing Force power flowed through this simple thing, which was no bigger than a marble. Haduun sheathed his own blade and also pulled out a similar orb.

"Come now, Haduun. We both know how this will turn out." Eradicus said, barely stifling a laugh, "The two Force energies will touch each other and send us both flying."

Haduun remained calm, then said, his voice still echoing, "That's what you think."

Haduun raised the hand holding the compressed Force Push so that the palm was facing upwards, and the energy floated into the air between them. Then, everything changed…

BANG!

An explosion of Force energy had erupted from Haduun's hand in the form of a transparent blue shockwave. The resulting explosion sent everything nearby flying, including IJ, Alleina, and Eradicus.

IJ and Alleina landed a few feet from the door while Eradicus got sent flying to parts unknown, probably because it was directed at him. IJ and Alleina stood up, aching from the crash, and stared at the spot where Eradicus had previously stood.

"Haduun what just happened?" Alleina asked, both impressed and scared.

"I'm afraid that now's not the time to talk." Haduun said, his voice still echoing with an unknown entity, "That compressed Force Repulse won't keep him there for long." He held out his hands, then added, "Hold on tight."

Haduun took IJ and Alleina's hands in each of his own, and with surprising strength, lifted them both off the ground and tucked them under his arms like luggage. He then dashed forward with superhuman speed, but it was a far cry from what he had done in the school. This time, he was running so fast that when he was going to run into the lake, he ran on the surface of the water.

It wasn't long before Haduun had gotten to the nearest docking bay, where his parents were waiting for him. Haduun stopped when he was only a few inches from them, narrowly avoiding a collision, and leaving his parents downright stunned. He let it sink in a bit, then put down the droid and his sister.

IJ felt normal because he was a droid; he didn't have any body functions like any organic, so he felt as normal as ever, save a damaged photoreceptor from that Force push by Eradicus. Alleina, however, was an organic being, thus she was plagued with motion sickness and nearly tripped over her own feet.

Haduun spoke again, but everyone in his family seemed to notice that the echo was starting to fade away. "You need to get to a ship. You'll be safe in space…"

Haduun's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell back to land on the floor.

"Haduun!" Haduun's father said in surprise, "Haduun! Wake up!

Haduun's father, on hearing no response, slapped his son across the face. His response was to wince in pain, groan and put a hand to the side of his face.

"Ow…" Haduun groaned as he sat up. The pain from his battle with Eradicus was oddly absent. "What happened?"

IR-JK cocked his head to the right in curiosity. "You mean you don't remember anything?" Suddenly, the Omni-droid's damaged photoreceptor popped out of its socket, earning a concerned "oh dear" from IJ.

Haduun shook his head. "No. The last thing I remember was Alleina saying 'no' to Eradicus." He massaged the spot between his eyes, then finished, "The rest is a blur."

Alleina regained her footing, then put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I promise I'll explain this later. But for now, you have to stand up."

"I would, but I can't." Haduun said, trying to move his foot and failing. "I can't feel my arms or legs, so I'm not going anywhere."

Haduun's father and mother lifted him onto his feet, supporting each of his arms on their shoulders and carried him into the docking. At that moment, Haduun was glad that he had a family that cared for him…it was something that separated him from Eradicus.

As they entered the dock, they spotted someone they could trust. It was a woman in ornate white robes: the current queen of Naboo, who had returned from a business trip to Coruscant.

"Your Majesty!" Haduun's father called out, trying to make his way to the queen.

His plan worked, because the queen turned and spotted them. On seeing Haduun's condition, her eyes widened. "What do you need?" she asked, looking at the father.

IR-JK caught up with them, staggering due to vision problems, then continued where Mr. Jaal had left off. "We're sorry to disturb you, Your Highness, but we'll be needing to get off-planet." He paused a second, then added, "As soon as possible, if that's agreeable."

"And why should I help?" she asked, curiously.

Haduun answered this time, rather than IJ. "Someone very dangerous is on this planet. If he kills me, he'll kill all of you next and no one will stop him."

The queen gasped at the urgency of this situation. But this was only for a second, because the next, she got down to business. "Alright." She said, her voice strong, "Where are you planning to go?"

Haduun thought quickly, then answered, "Polis Massa." It was the first place Haduun could think of, added that it would be well out of the reach of Naboo.

The queen nodded, then beckoned for them to follow. "It's not too close to Naboo, but if you say so…We will use my special ship, the Solar Phoenix."

The queen led the way to the port, and there they beheld the Solar Phoenix. The streamlined ship had a long orange hull, with a bright red symbol shaped like a bird emblazoned on its right wing. It had an engine on the sides that looked like the wings of some kind of bird and were the color of gold.

Haduun actually smirked at the sight of the ship, noticing that it had weapons, too. "Nice."

A bridge came down from the side of the ship and the small group got onboard, Haduun still being carried by his parents. The interior of the ship was the usual metal of a ship: white and colorless. It was better than what Haduun had been in previously.

They found a nice comfortable bed and laid Haduun on it. Alleina stayed by his side, though, and asked, "How do you feel?"

Haduun shrugged. "I've seen better days…"

The queen looked up at the ceiling, then said, in a firm voice, "Voice command."

A robotic male voice responded to the queen and said, "Yes, milady?"

"We're leaving Naboo." She announced, "Set coordinates for Polis Massa immediately."

The robotic voice, surprisingly asked, "Polis Massa? Heading for a picnic, miss?"

Haduun scoffed. "That's new: a Voice command with sarcasm."

The autopilot set to work immediately and the Solar Phoenix rose from the ground with a roar of its engines. As soon as it was above the building, the fiery ship took off, reaching space in only a few seconds.

Haduun then realized something…something he had forgotten since his battle with Eradicus: he really hated flying. It was going to be a VERY uneasy sleep…

_Sleep well, Haduun Jaal. You have a long journey ahead of you…_

Haduun closed his eyes and let sleep take him, albeit uneasily.

Back on Naboo, Eradicus watched the Solar Phoenix take off. Taking ships out of the air was beyond his power, especially from a long range. In seconds, he lost Haduun's presence, then put his helmet back on.

"It matters not where you go or how far you run, Jedi. I will find you one day and the Sith will rule the galaxy."

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_So, there's the third chapter of "The Darkened Force" for you. We won't see as much lightsaber action in the next few chapters, so be prepared._

_Hey, this is Lunatic 121. Sorry there won't be a new chapter for a bit longer than I thought. I got into a bit of trouble, and I'm trying as hard as I can to get to work. Don't review to this, if you have any questions PM me._


	4. Chapter 4: A little bit of peace

_Hey this is Lunatic 121 back with The Darkened Force again. Finally I have been able to work on Chapter 4. Permission to do my Yippie-skippie dance, permission granted, (Does a weird dance) Well, enjoy folks. Again credit to Ddude._

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Chapter 4: A little bit of peace.

Haduun's consciousness returned to him, and his head felt like a balloon on the verge of bursting. His arms and legs felt like lead weights had been strapped to them, and when he opened his eyes, he immediately shut them to block out the light. He groaned as he sat up, and was met with Alleina and his parents.

"What?" Haduun asked, massaging the back of his head. He could still feel the place where he was struck. "Is there something on my face?"

Alleina just smiled, then threw herself forward and hugged him. Haduun winced; he knew that some of his ribs were bruised in his fight with Darth Eradicus.

"Ow…" Haduun said through clenched teeth, causing his sister to release him with an immediate apology. He looked around, then asked, "Where are we?"

"Polis Massa," his father answered, "Just as you requested."

"As much as I hate to admit it," his mother said, gesturing to the odd white-faced aliens tending to the equipment, "These things are pretty talented." The Polis Massans' response was to turn on her comment, nod, then return to their business.

At that moment, the queen walked into view. "We have much to talk about." She said, her expression oddly serious, "Haduun will explain everything that happened, as far as he remembers."

Haduun massaged his temples, then sighed, "Alright, I'll tell you everything I remember. But if I can't remember anything else, Alleina will have to take up where I left off."

Haduun explained to the queen what happened, right up to the part where he heard Alleina defied Eradicus. Haduun did not put in the dream, or explain the fact that Eradicus killed the entire Jedi order several years ago. There was no need for panic, not yet at least.

"Alright, I've explained as much as I remember." Haduun said, now strong enough to sit up and flop his legs over the side of the table. He turned to his sister and gestured with his hand. "It's your turn now, Alleina."

Alleina nodded, then proceeded to explain what happened right up to the part where they had met the queen. "Then father and mother lifted Haduun on their shoulders, and carried him in." She gestured to everyone in the room and finished, "And here we are now."

"Understood." The queen said with a nod, "I hope the best for you. Unfortunately, I cannot stay. My people need me." The queen then left the room without another word.

Alleina turned to her brother. "Brother, what do you think happened when you went super on us?"

Haduun tried to remember what happened, but shook his head. "Sorry, but I have no idea. I could take a couple of guesses but none of them would be good."

Haduun sighed, then put his feet back on his bed. He still felt extremely tired. "Where's IJ?" he asked.

"He's outside, guarding the door." Haduun's mother answered, "Now go back to sleep, my son. We'll be leaving for Cloud City in the morning."

Haduun did not resist as Alleina lightly pushed him back into laying back down. He closed his eyes, but something kept him up; it felt like something was nagging at his mind. He opened his eyes again to see that Alleina, his father, and his mother had left the room.

_It's going to be a long night…_he mentally groaned to himself.

That night, the feeling came again. The feeling that something was calling him. It sounded, to him, like an old friend was calling out his name from a faraway place.

When Haduun woke up, the first thing Haduun noticed was IJ standing at the front of the door. "Ah, I see that you are finally awake, master." IJ said, his voice showing great relief, "Ever since your duel with Eradicus, I've been worried sick!"

Haduun, ignoring IJ's statement, asked, "How long was I asleep?"

IJ paused for a second, then answered, "I'd take a guess at seven hours, thirty-one minutes, fifty seconds, and sixty-five nanoseconds." After a look at Haduun's curious face, he filled in, "If we were back on Naboo, I would say that the sun will have barely risen."

Haduun raised an eyebrow. "That's a 'guess'?" he asked, "Sounds more like a calculation to me."

IJ slumped forward slightly, as though crestfallen. "Sorry master, it won't happen again."

Haduun waved it off. "No need to apologize, IJ. It's no big deal." He slowly rose to a sitting position and asked, "Any idea where my lightsaber is?"

"No need to worry, master." The Omni-droid assured him, "I brought it here. Why do you ask?"

Haduun paused, then looked down at his sheets. "Because, we aren't staying at Polis Massa, and I won't accompany my family to Cloud City." He answered, somewhat-glumly.

IR-JK seemed shocked, and he did a very believable job. Haduun had put so much work in the droid that it was easily a sentient being unto itself.

"Leave?" IJ asked, almost at a loss for words, "Out of all the options, I'm afraid that isn't a very advisable thing, master."

"I know." Haduun said with a sympathetic nod, "But I feel like I have to. If it leads to the freedom of this galaxy, I'll go for it."

Haduun perked slightly; he felt the presence of several people outside the room. They were, in order, his mother, father, and sister.

Haduun cleared his throat, then spoke in a voice that would surely be able to get through the door. "I know you're there. Come in."

The doors slid open and Haduun's family walked inside. Haduun wasn't particularly comfortable with their expressions: melancholy

"I take it you heard everything?" he asked, still looking down at his sheets. Haduun already knew it was going to lead to this, but he had to be sure.

"Yes." His father answered, voice solemn.

Haduun's mother brushed a tear off her cheek. "Why are you leaving?" she asked, her voice easily showing distraught. Thanks to Haduun's Force powers, he could sense it before it came.

_Well there goes leaving quietly._ Haduun sighed in his head. He stood up from his bed and answered, "I am. I feel as though something's calling me, like it's forcing me to go wherever it wants me to go."

"Can you resist it?" There was a note of forcefulness in his mother's voice, like she wanted him to say "yes".

"Yes I can." Haduun admitted, but added, "But that's not the point, the point is that it's the will of the Force. And whatever the Force wants, it will get one way or another."

Alleina smiled, but Haduun noticed he was crying. He also noticed a bundle of cloth in her arms. "I knew that you wouldn't stay here forever…so I made this." She said in a quiet voice.

Alleina unfolded the bundle and revealed it to be white Jedi robes with a white hood, and brown straps over the shoulders and around the waist. Long white sleeves emerged from the robe's shoulders, and Alleina was kind enough to add brown boots to the mix.

"Well, go ahead." Alleina said, with both an eager voice and a hint of sadness, "Try them on…"

Haduun walked to a storage room with a lock from inside and closed the door behind him. He came back out wearing the suit, which fit him perfectly. He kept the hood down to ensure that his family could see his face, hair, and eyes one last time. Haduun walked over to Alleina and, before he could even thank her, she hugged him full-on.

Haduun gently pulled away, then asked, "How did you get these?"

Alleina brushed back a lock of her hair. "I just found them during our fieldtrip to Coruscant." She answered, "They looked important, so I didn't tell anyone. Chances are that they don't remember now." She took a step back, then saw Haduun for what he really was. To her, she looked like a hero that the Force itself had sent to save them all, and she knew he was.

"Now, now, I made a gift too." Haduun's father pointed out, "For I had anticipated your departure as well."

Haduun's father walked over to him, and pulled out what looked like a small silver hilt with gold lacing. Haduun stared wide-eyed at it. It was a special Electrum-based Jedi hilt. It was only given to the most famous Jedi Masters like Mace Windu. For a moment they stood there, then Haduun's father motioned with the hilt. Haduun reached forward, and slowly took it from father with trembling hands.

"I found it about twenty years ago." Haduun's father said with the seriousness of a military colonel, "I found it somewhere on Dagobah and I couldn't believe my eyes." He gestured to Haduun and announced, "It's yours now. I'm proud to have a Jedi in my family."

Haduun took out his own lightsaber, the golden hilt was slightly smaller than the original. Haduun used the force to open up the first lightsaber he recovered from his school and extracted the sky-blue lightsaber crystal. It looked best for his blade.

Haduun, again, used the force to open the golden-silver-mixed hilt and inserted the crystal into its inner mechanisms. After sealing it back up, he activated it and a blue bar of plasma hummed to life, fitting his hilt and his white robes.

"Thank you, father." Haduun said, sheathing his lightsaber and clipping it to his belt, "I promise I'll only use it to bring the end of this Sith Lord."

Haduun turned to his mother, then turned away in slight shame. His mother, on the other hand, took his shoulders in her hands. "Now just because I snapped at you doesn't mean I don't have a gift."

Haduun watched as his mother reached behind her neck and unclipped the necklace she wore. She handed it to Haduun, who took it in his hand and stared at it.

"Won't this seem a little…feminine?" he asked.

Haduun's mother chuckled, then pointed at the center of the necklace. Haduun studied it closely and he stared in shock once more. In the center of the necklace was a green crystal: a green lightsaber crystal.

"Thanks, mother." Haduun said, bowing in a Jedi respect, "But I don't think I'll be needing this." Haduun turned his attention to his loyal Omni-droid. "IJ, I'll be needing my first lightsaber."

"As you wish, master." IJ said, holding out the still-open hilt.

Haduun took the pieces of the hilt, then levitated them with the force. After refitting the old hilt with the green crystal, he handed it to Alleina. She stared in awe, then wordlessly took the weapon from him.

"You'll need this more than I do." Haduun said with a slight smirk, "Defend my family with it and hone the Force you hold in you."

Alleina stared at the lightsaber like a priceless treasure, then nodded. A second later, she sniffled, then hugged Haduun as tightly as she dared.

"I'll miss you, brother…" she softly sobbed.

"I know. And I'll miss you, too." He stood back a bit, then actually joked. "Hope you realize this means I won't give a birthday present for awhile. Like, say…fifteen years?"

Alleina playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "You're joking, right?"

Haduun scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, kinda." He admitted.

Haduun laughed a rather fake laugh, and Alleina clipped her new lightsaber to her own belt. "Don't you have to be going now?"

Haduun nodded, then beckoned to IR-JK, who followed swiftly. walked out of the room silently, and got into the loading dock, where they met the Queen.

"How'd you know we were coming?" Haduun asked, folding his arms.

"You didn't think there are cameras anywhere in this place?" the queen asked, raising an eyebrow.

IR-JK cocked his head to one side. "Ah."

"You're really going to leave?" the queen asked, needing to make sure.

Haduun nodded. "And if it's not too much to ask, I'll be needing to use the Solar Phoenix." The Jedi requested. "Reason being that I don't have a ship of my own."

The queen nodded. "Okay. I'll be using a spare ship to go back to Naboo."

Haduun walked beside the Solar Phoenix and its hatch opened up. Haduun and IJ walked inside. Once inside, Haduun ordered, "Voice command, activate."

The computerized voice spoke to him. "Waiting for orders, sir." It said in a monotone.

"Prepare for liftoff." Haduun commanded, "We're going to…" Haduun felt around with the Force, searching for whatever was there. He closed his eyes, then spotted a speck of light: the source. "The Jedi Temple, on Coruscant."

"Coordinates locked." The automated captain confirmed.

Haduun took a seat with IR-JK sitting just to his right. As soon as they had taken off of Polis Massa, Haduun closed his eyes, then heaved a sigh through his teeth.

IR-JK turned at the noise and noticed his master's…unhappy expression. "Master?" he asked, "Are you all right?

Haduun regained himself, then turned to his droid. "I'm fine. Thanks." Haduun's voice was a little choked, as IJ could tell, but he soon cleared it.

"Let's go." Haduun said, staring out into space. He then addressed the autopilot. "Begin Hyperspace jump."

"Hyperspace activated…" the autopilot confirmed.

The Solar Phoenix's viewport showed that the stars appeared to suddenly turn into streams of bright light. At that moment, though, Haduun remembered how much he hated space travel…too late. The ship shot off into space faster than the blink of an eye.

-----

Light-years away, on the city planet of Nar Shadaa, Darth Eradicus strode through the rainy streets. He strode through the city, not caring if the townsfolk gave him weird looks. Anyone stupid enough to try and start a fight with him was dead in a few seconds.

Eradicus was expecting someone to have finished her first mission, so now he was going to check on the results. He finally reached a bar that had its doors torn open and barely hanging onto the hinges. At his feet lay a Gamorrean, its piggish face almost unrecognizable amidst charred flesh.

_Well, _Eradicus mused in his mind, _Looks like she succeeded after all. _Ironically, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky to herald the Sith's triumph.

Eradicus stepped over the dead Gamorrean and entered the wrecked bar. He looked around in the failing light to see tables smashed, light fixtures shattered, and chairs in odd places. He looked down at the ground, then shrugged it off and continued…even though he was walking among several corpses. The bodies of human and alien alike were scattered across the bar. Some had holes burned right through them, others were intact, but smoking like a fire, and still others lay broken on the floor. To make things even more gruesome, some of the dead aliens lay in pieces, lacking arms, legs, torsos, and even heads.

Eradicus looked upon the carnage…and it was good. He then turned his head towards the lone survivor: a feminine figure dressed in black robes common for a Sith apprentice.

This woman was human, but first glances would probably say otherwise. She was huddled in a corner staring at the floor, she also had a metal band around her wrist with four bars around it. She had tidy black hair, green eyes, and she was crying.

"Congratulations." Darth Eradicus said, clasping his hands together, "You have become worthy of being my apprentice."

A few tears dropped from the girl's face to land on the ground, but her teeth were clenched in anger. "You…" she growled, not even turning to face him, "You almost KILLED me!"

If Eradicus was supposed to be affected by this, he wasn't. "But you didn't, did you?" Eradicus asked her, "I have searched the galaxy for an apprentice with power like yours. Only YOU have survived my trials while others perished. And it is your power, in which I will promote you as a fellow Lord of the Sith." Eradicus took a deep breath, letting the Dark Side of the Force enter him. "I hereby christen you Darth…" A pause…a questioning of the Dark Side, and it answered through Eradicus' mouth. "Rageus."

Eradicus slowly came back to the current universe and strode over to the newly-promoted Sith Lord. "And by the way, Lord Rageus." Eradicus walked over to her and lowered his face to her ear.

"Continue your crying; despise me. For your fear of me becomes anger, anger morphs into rage." Under his mask, Darth Eradicus was smiling a serpentine grin. "And for the Sith, rage is your power."

Rageus looked up at him with a scowl on her face. It was the strangest thing had the Dark side corrupted her, she would have looked very different, the Dark side corrupts everything but she didn't look corrupted. Her face was only an angry scowl as she faced her so-called "master".

"I…hate…you." She growled, her hand gripping the handle of a lightsaber.

Eradicus lifted a hand and she levitated into the air. Even when she struggled, he kept a cruel grin on his face. "Then the first part of your training is complete, my apprentice. Our quest for the darkness has begun."

* * *

_Yes, I know. I miss the action too! BUT that's stories for you, they can't all be action. Expect action in the next chapter, The name of the next chapter: Facing a Devil. Wait, was that a spoiler? Ummm. (Runs away) _


	5. Chapter 5: Facing a Devil

Chapter 5: Fighting a Devil

The Solar Phoenix came out of Hyperspace to reveal that they were just about to enter Coruscant's atmosphere. Haduun sat in a chair just to the right of IR-JK. The Omni-droid was sticking his finger into a data transfer like an astromech droid, taking in whatever the ship's computer had to offer.

"Well, I'm most certainly impressed." IJ admitted, "This computer has historical records that date back to the Jedi order's beginnings."

Haduun shrugged. "And that'll help us, how?"

IR-JK looked up, as though the answer was surprisingly obvious. "What?" he asked in shock, "Why, looking back at the past can help us learn about our current situation. If we don't learn from the past, it will repeat itself."

Haduun was about to give a comment when something beeped. IJ looked down at the main dashboard to show a life scanner. Several red lights had flashed onto the radar screen…and they were coming from the Jedi Temple.

"Hmm, that's odd." IJ said, making sure there were no kinks, "Nobody's guarded the Jedi temple since an incident that happened over ten years ago. But scanners are showing at least six hundred people surrounding the building, some inside it even."

Haduun squinted through the viewport, then pressed a button. The scanner zoomed in, showing that there were beings in and around the temple. Haduun stood from his seat and unclipped his lightsaber.

"Fine." He said, turning to the exit, "Lemme go in and say 'hi'."

IR-JK quickly stood and raised a metal arm. "Master! Before you go, I'd like to give to give you this." Before Haduun could even object, his droid handed him a special comm-link. "If you need to know anything regarding the Jedi, just ask me and I'll see what I know."

"Thanks." Haduun said, placing the device in his ear. He was just at the railway when he ordered, "Open the port."

"Opening bay doors." The autopilot confirmed, then added, "If you end up dying, then I will be very upset."

"I'm sure you will." Haduun said, taking his first bold steps out of the Solar Phoenix.

Haduun set foot on the streets of Coruscant and set eyes on the crumbling structure of what was once the Jedi Temple. It still retained some of its core characteristics: statues of Jedi that had been long-dead. The instant Haduun stepped down onto the Jedi Temple, something flashed in his mind.

_A boy who was not much older than nine was training with a man he had never seen before. The boy was practicing his force powers, and was struggling to lift a book. It floated for six seconds before falling back to the floor._

_The man next to Haduun was very large: at least six foot, eight inches tall. He had skin the color of soil and had no hair on his head. His left arm hung, limply, in his sleeve. He knew instantly it was a Jedi from his robes to the lightsaber on his belt._

Haduun snapped back to reality just as the bald man had turned to him. Just in time, too, because a package of pure energy came pelting towards him. For a split second Haduun thought it was a lightsaber blade, but as he blocked it, he quickly found out it was a blaster bolt. Said bolt flew off in another direction, scorching the ground

Haduun made a quick scan around the area, both with his eyes and with the help of the Force. He sensed something behind a pillar: a presence. Using the Force, he reached out for the presence to grabbed it, the victim emitting a choked cry in surprise. Haduun jerked the being from behind the pillar and saw what had nearly fried him.

The culprit was a Ssi-Ruu, a dinosaurian creature from the distant planet of Lwhekk. It had crimson hide, three-clawed hands and feet, and a thick, powerful tail. Its beak-like mouth was lined with teeth. The Ssi-Ruu's sense of smell was increased by the fact that it had forked "tongues" sticking out of each nostril. In the reptilian's right hand was a blaster rifle.

Haduun pulled the Ssi-Ruu closer until it was within earshot. "Who're you working for?"

The Ssi-Ruu struggled as it futilely tried to escape. "The one being who will rule the universe." It said in a Ssi-Ruuvi tongue, which was a number of airy calls and rattles: it was as though a large bird had swallowed a small percussion instrument.

When Haduun apparently didn't understand this, the dinosaurian repeated the words in Basic: the common language of the universe, just ahead of Huttese.

Haduun tightened his grip on the force. "You mean Darth Eradicus?" he asked, getting slightly irritated with this thing's vagueness.

The Ssi-Ruu cocked its head to one side. "I have no idea who you're talking about." It said in a snarly, voice, "I live only to serve Necros."

Haduun slackened his grip slightly. "Necros?"

"Yes. He is the being who now controls the galaxy." The Ssi-Ruu said, almost insanely, "And soon enough, you will fear his name as much as anyone else."

Haduun would have interrogated the Ssi-Ruu further, but he noticed that other Ssi-Ruu coming. And, worst of all, they already had blasters at the ready. Haduun knew that he might be fast, but at their current angles, he couldn't block them all. Haduun had one trick left…and it was a new one that he thought would work real well…

Haduun concentrated a large amount of Force Energy around his captive Ssi-Ruu until it glowed bright blue. Finally, he launched the captive reptile at its comrades. On collision, the Force energy surrounding it exploded, catapulting all the attackers in all direction.

"I don't like the look of this." Haduun said to himself, "I don't like the look of this at all."

Haduun pulled out his lightsaber and slowly entered the temple's depths. Haduun paused, sensing something in the Force, ignited his lightsaber and spun to deflect a blaster bolt aimed at his back. The energy bolt flew right back at its source: another alien out to kill him. The alien gave a dying scream as the bolt hit it right in the face, sending it onto its back and killing it instantly.

Haduun spun to his front to meet another flurry of blaster bolts. Rather than send them back at their owners, Haduun deflected them, then sprang into the air. He turned on his heel, then slashed another upcoming Ssi-Ruu. The Ssi-Ruu didn't even get the chance to scream as Haduun carved it in half.

After finishing off the last Ssi-Ruu, Haduun noticed that the Jedi Temple was now very empty. The extraordinary thing was the fact that everything that should have been in the temple was now oddly absent.

Haduun mentally shrugged to himself. _I was half-expecting a Trandoshan to spring out at some point. But… _Haduun caught sight of something moving, right in the corner of his eye.

The Jedi turned to the spot to spot a shadowy figure dart back into the hallway where it came from. Haduun tightened the grip on his lightsaber and ran after the shadowy figure.

Haduun followed his quarry into the room, which turned out to be a large hall, bigger even than the royal hall back on Naboo. The hall was built from a beautiful white material, complete with nicely built stairs and tall Jedi statues. These statues represented Jedi who lived for the Force, from the oldest known master to the most recent.

At the far end of the hall there was a statue of Luke Skywalker, the founder of the New Jedi Order. Ever since the fall of Vader, the Jedi had reformed from their ways. As long as they knew the difference between compassion and lust, the Jedi would always be more powerful than the Sith.

Haduun used the force to search the hall, and didn't sense the shadow anywhere…so far. Haduun walked to the end of the hall, and sighed as he looked up at the Luke Skywalker statue.

_You will need all of your skill to survive. _Haduun turned at the sudden voice in his mind, as though an actual person had spoken to him. The voice was calm, sage-like, and up to the brim with wisdom._ Let go of your fear, let go of your anger._

Haduun didn't know what the Force took him here to do. He didn't know what to do anymore. Haduun had the idea that the Force would always leave him with a clue, leave him an idea of what to do next. But apparently, he was wrong: the Force never did the same thing twice.

Haduun, still staring at the feet of the statue, activated his comlink. "IJ?"

After a brief pause, the voice of Haduun's home-built droid came through. "Ah, Master. Have you found anything yet?"

"Not yet." Haduun answered, disappointment in his voice, "Prepare the Solar Phoenix…we're leaving."

Haduun turned around only to find himself staring at the chest of an alien being…a chest in black robes. Haduun looked up and saw the face of an ominous-looking Zabrak. Haduun placed him at over seven feet tall, he knew it was a Zabrak because it had dark skin with white, white war paint patterned onto its face in the form of a skull, and its vestigial horns were the same color as fresh blood. Underneath this war paint, Haduun could see that his face was heavy-set with a square jaw and a dead-serious expression.

This was the tallest Zabrak Haduun had ever seen. But, then again, it was the only Zabrak he had ever seen, aside from pictures in books.

Haduun activated his comlink again. "IJ?"

"Oh, what now, master?" IR-JK asked, sounding very impatient, "I was busy with the ship."

"I need a quick scan on any Zabrak Sith lords." Haduun ordered, his lightsaber finding his hand in an instant.

"Let's see…" IJ said through the comlink, "There was Sidious' first apprentice: Darth Maul."

Haduun remembered studying Maul in his school. This guy wasn't him. He may have had the same expression, horns, and all-in-all species, but it wasn't him. "No."

The Zabrak whipped off its black cloak to reveal that he wore no shirt. White tattoos were patterned onto his pitch-dark skin, in a pattern resembling a combination of white-hot flames and sun-bleached bones. The Zabrak used the force to pull a very large lightsaber hilt into his hand: it was so wide that Haduun doubted he could lift it with both hands.

Haduun recognized this weapon as a lightclub. A lightclub was basically a lightsaber used for extremely big aliens with large hands. The thing that worried Haduun the most was that this Zabrak was lifting it with one hand. The Zabrak activated the lightclub and a bar of fire-colored plasma burst from the hilt. The blade of the lightclub was easily four times wider than any other lightsaber.

"Never mind." Haduun said, focusing on his opponent, "You can fill me in later."

The Zabrak kept the huge bar of plasma down at his side, then spoke in a deep, masculine voice. "There was a time where Jedi feared one name: Darth Diablos."

The Sith Lord who called himself Darth Diablos, sprang with surprising agility for his size. With one movement of his arm, he swung his lightclub down at Haduun with a heaved grunt. Haduun raised his lightsaber to defend, but the sheer impact of the lightclub made him drop onto one knee. Darth Diablos' strength amazed Haduun beyond his wildest dreams.

"The Jedi were weak, but thanks to the Dark Side, I have achieved power." Diablos stated, heaving up his lightclub to swing again.

Haduun, not wanting to find out what would happen if he blocked again, sprang out of harm's way. He seemed to do it just in time, because the lightclub slammed on the ground. But even though Haduun moved out of the way, some invisible force had sent him flying several feet forward. Haduun spun like a wheel in the air before he landed on the floor, rolling across the tiled surface. After he landed, he regained his balance and sized up his opponent.

Haduun stood up with an effort and groaned. _He either has accomplished great physical strength or he fused his lightsaber with Force Power._

Haduun looked at Darth Diablos and spotted another swing from the lightclub. Haduun pushed his hand forward and the Zabrak Sith Lord slid backward several yards. Darth Diablos regained his footing, then seemed to punch the air in front of him. Even though the two were several yards apart, Diablos' punch seemed to hit Haduun as though he were right in front of him. Concentrated Force energy was molded into a physical force and was as close to an actual punch as one could get. Result: Haduun slid back, winded. As he struggled to breathe again, Darth Diablos looked absolutely unimpressed.

"Is this the best a Jedi can do?" the Zabrak asked, disdainfully, "I could get more of a challenge from a youngling."

Again, Haduun stood up with a groan, and his lightsaber still at the ready. He knew that if he kept standing still, the Sith Lord would be the death of him. He sped towards Darth Diablos, and the Sith Lord raised his lightclub before attempting to slam the weapon on the oncoming Haduun. Fortunately, Haduun was beginning to wise up to Diablos' combat style and dodged out of the way rather than attempt to block. As he figured, blocking would be worse than bad. As soon as Haduun was done with the dodge, he sent a pulse of Force Energy through his body, and it counteracted the Force Push that Diablos used in that swing alone.

_I think I'm starting to get the hang of this…_Haduun thought to himself.

The minute Haduun landed on his feet, lightning coursed from Diablos' fingertips, but unlike Eradicus' Sith Lightning, Diablos' was the trademark blue. Haduun caught the lightning in one hand, and turned it back on the Sith. Haduun's golden lightning clashed against Diablos' electric-blue. Haduun's lightning, however, was the stronger one, as it was made of pure light, so it quickly overpowered Diablos'.

Once he had the upper hand, Haduun switched from lightning to other force moves. Haduun saw Diablos struggle to keep his own lightning up without getting shocked, then seized his chance. He pushed the Sith Lord backward, canceling the lightning, then lifted Diablos into the air and sent him flying back straight into the wall. Diablos, however, got right back up after he landed and brushed debris off his shoulder.

"Is that the best you have to offer?" the Zabrak challenged, bringing out his lightclub once more.

The curse that escaped Haduun's lips would have made a Corellian deckhand blush. _How much can this guy take? _He asked himself.

Diablos charged at the Jedi with his lightclub held high while Haduun charged with his lightsaber in both hands. At the last second before they collided, Haduun jumped into the air, spinning like a buzzsaw with his lightsaber humming through the air. Diablos blocked the strike with ease, then reached into the Force to seize Haduun right out of the air.

Diablos pulled Haduun towards him, ready to end the fight once and for all. He readied his lightclub and, with one swing, he almost did so as he attempted to cut off Haduun's legs. Haduun, acting on instinct, put a hand forward and used the Force to stop Diablos' hand. It took every ounce of Force power to keep Diablos from shearing right through him, for both were using the Force to their advantage. Diablos used it to push against Haduun and vice versa. Haduun clipped his lightsaber to his belt again, then used his free hand to perform a Force push. Diablos flew a few yards away, but caught himself with his free hand until he stopped. Diablos raised his free fist, and with a loud grunt, punched the floor of the Jedi Temple with it.

The minute the bulky Zabrak's fist connected with the floor, a shockwave of energy began to cruise towards Haduun. Earth and tiles alike were shaken free from the floor, and Haduun knew that he'd have to counteract it…fast. He pulled back both of his hands, tightening his fingers until they curve, and focused his Force energy into the space between them. When he felt enough energy, he thrust both his hands forward, palms facing in front of him. A wave of Force energy flew at the oncoming one from the ground, and they collided with the force of a proton grenade, kicking up dust and debris.

Haduun ran right into the dust cloud to try and get Diablos, then jumped in the air and attempted to the Zabrak through the heart. Diablos sidestepped, then took a swing at Haduun only to see the Jedi duck right under the attack. He followed up with a vertical chop that Haduun rolled away from. Darth Diablos waited until Haduun had gotten back on his feet, then used the Force to punch the Jedi into submission. Haduun was sent whirlwinding through the air again, but this time, he landed on his feet and was balanced in minutes.

Haduun jumped at Diablos with the ferocity of a predator. Haduun's lightsaber hit Diablos' lightclub time and time again, the weapons sparking and crackling as they met. Haduun backed off to recuperate, but at that moment, Diablos was swinging down at him again. He wouldn't be fast enough to avoid it, so he went with instinct this time, and parried it. Keeping Diablos' blade up was merely difficult, but not impossible, and Haduun managed to do it.

"Force or no Force…" Diablos pointed out, pushing Haduun to the point that the Jedi was now on the ground. "You must realize that you are DOOMED."

Haduun's blade was now so close to his face that he could smell the ozone. He had one trick left: one that wouldn't work twice. But it was a good trick…after all, he had seen it put to good use in his dreams.

"I don't think so…" Haduun said, his voice strained and focused. He lifted a finger and the lightclub ripped itself free of Diablos' grip and flew off to clatter across the temple floor.

Haduun quickly delivered a swift kick to Diablos' knee joint, causing the Sith Lord to buckle slightly. He used that time to slide away from him, get back to his feet, and gather any Force energy he could. The Force pulled on everything that wasn't nailed down: pieces of debris, the head of a statue, and even Darth Diablos himself.

Maelstrom. That was what that move was called. The Maelstrom was a move only used by very advanced Jedi: objects would be drawn around the person using it, until the person decides to end the flow. And when that happened, a powerful wave of pure Force energy would explode from the Jedi's body and send everything flying away.

And Diablos was caught in the Maelstrom…with no way out.

Haduun roared as he released the energy within the Maelstrom, and everything the Force had gathered around him exploded outward. The sheer power of the Force sent the debris and the Sith Lord alike to crash into the walls and pillars of the temple. Darth Diablos landed at the Luke Skywalker statue's feet with an audible "crunch" and struggled to try and stand up again.

Haduun, on the other hand, ignited his lightsaber and used the Force to lift the Sith up into the air. Haduun moved ever closer to Diablos until he was just within earshot. Diablos chuckled. "Go ahead." He said, a smile on his face, "Kill me. Or are you too frightened like the rest of the Jedi?"

Haduun paused for a second, making sure to keep Diablos in his grip. He then looked into the Zabrak's face and resignedly sent the dark lord of the Sith flying upwards into the ceiling. Haduun used his lightsaber to hack the lightclub in two, then brought Diablos to the ground, using the Force to accelerate his fall. Haduun closed his eyes, expecting to hear the sound of breaking bones. The crunch never came, and when Haduun opened his eyes, he saw that Diablos was no longer there.

What he did sense was a horde of beings outside the temple. They were getting closer by the second. When Haduun saw that there wasn't a back exit, he decided to make one. He stuck his lightsaber into a wall, then carved a hole big enough for him to fit through.

Haduun snuck around the building until he was back at the Solar Phoenix. The bridge lowered to reveal IR-JK in the ship, waiting for him.

"Master, you look like you just had a bad encounter with a Trandoshan." IJ pointed out, showing utmost concern for Haduun. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, IJ." Haduun assured him, "But we can't stay here. We have to get off-planet."

Haduun walked across the ship's floor at a pace one would deem as "not happy". The door closed behind the Jedi as he looked up at the ceiling. "Voice command, get us out of here."

The ship's computer would have shrugged if it had a proper body. "Well you're in a good mood." It said, sarcastically, noting that Haduun sounded like he wanted to get off planet as soon as possible.

The ship rose off the ground and shot into the planet's atmosphere before rocketing off into the vast depths of space. As soon as they got into space, IJ was plainly curious as to what happened. "So, master, what exactly happened down there?"

"I heard someone…but I couldn't see him." Haduun answered, "There was this huge Zabrak Sith Lord. He had a lightsaber that was MUCH bigger than mine."

IR-JK contemplated what his master had just said, then jacked into the ship's database. A holo-image of the exact description flashed onto the floor. "Could you mean the long-dead Lord of the Sith Darth Diablos?"

Haduun stared at the image, then up at IJ. "He's dead?" he asked in shock, "How long?"

IJ searched the databases, then turned to Haduun with an answer. "Yes. He has been dead for over one hundred years, training under Darth Malevos, who was killed three years later. Whether Malevos got a new apprentice to follow in his footsteps is still a mystery."

"He sure looked alive." Haduun pointed out, "He almost cut me in two on more than one occasion."

IR-JK did a quick search in the computers, then found a plausible solution. "Hmm…I suppose another option would be that the Sith you faced WASN'T a Sith Lord."

Haduun raised an eyebrow. That hardly made sense to him. But apparently, the droid noticed.

"The 'Darth Diablos' you met at the Jedi Temple was merely a figment supposedly created by the Force." IJ filled in, "Apparently, you passed the Jedi Trial of Skill."

THAT made a little more sense than before. "Wait…The Jedi Trials were used to promote Padawans to the rank of Jedi Knight. Am I right?" Haduun asked.

"Yes." IJ said with a nod, "What you did was pass the first part of your Jedi Test."

"First part, huh?" Haduun asked, then closed his eyes. "If that was the easiest, then I'll hate to see what the second one is like."

An electronic reproduction of someone clearing their throat sounded in the room. "As intriguing as this conversation is, may I ask what your destination is, sir?"

Haduun sighed, then clasped his hands in front of him, as though praying. "I don't know. For now, just switch into cruise mode until I get the right reading."

"Oh sure." The voice command said, sarcasm in its voice as usual, "Activate me and then do nothing with me." It gave a credible reproduction of a sigh, then said, "Switching to cruise mode.

Haduun stood from his seat next to IJ, then moved to another part of the ship. _Looks like I have a longer journey than I thought._ He thought to himself.

_Well, that's all for now folks oh wait (Static) there is one more scene I have to show you. (Static)_

On the chasm-riddled planet of Utapau, a figure sat in a chair like a throne. He was a Trandoshan: a reptilian alien easily as tall as a Wookiee and a reputation as one of the nastiest beings in the galaxy. They were two meters tall, scaly, and had hands and feet with three digits each. The middle of its three fingers was the largest, and the Trandoshan had a mouthful of sharp teeth. While most Trandoshans were a greenish-brown color, this one was as black as coal, except for one area on his face. Attached to his belt were gun holsters, thermal detonators, and canisters of a poisonous gas. On the back, though, was a leather case for some unknown cargo.

Suddenly, a Ssi-Ruu entered the Trandoshan's living quarters and saluted. "Sir! We've discovered something at the Jedi Temple." It reported in Basic.

The Trandoshan turned his sight to the Ssi-Ruu and revealed the other side of his face. The Ssi-Ruu flinched at the sight. The upper-right part of the Trandoshan's face was burned and a shade of red. The eye, which was orange and catlike on the left side, was a chalky white on the right. This Trandoshan looked like he had been hit by a blaster bolt and survived. The being he was fighting, the Ssi-Ruu guessed, didn't.

The Trandoshan spoke, his voice gravelly and deadly-sounding. "What was it?"

The Ssi-Ruu coughed slightly, then answered, "We have confirms that the being that entered the Temple was a Jedi Knight."

The Trandoshan raised a scaly eyebrow as he asked, "A Jedi?" His voice was smooth now, though the voice was still very predatorial.

The Ssi-Ruu nodded, shakily. "Y-yes, Boss Necros." It answered, "Unfortunately, we lost sight of him when he entered. He just…disappeared."

The Trandoshan, or Necros as he was called, clicked his tongue a few times. "Well, that's a pity…" he said, his voice dripping with a warning, "Have more troops patrol the temple. Am I clear?" The Ssi-Ruu nodded again and Necros gave a small huff. "You are dismissed."

"Yes, sir." The Ssi-Ruu then proceeded to hurry off to someplace else and brushed another messenger.

This new messenger was a Nosaurian: a reptilian being with a head decorated with horns. It saluted, then spoke. "I'm sorry for intruding, Necros."

The Trandoshan pointed one of its three fingers at it. "Get lost, scum. I don't have time for you." He spat.

The Nosaurian held up its hands, then quickly said, "But Boss, we caught most of the Rogue Crusaders."

Necros raised his brow again, raising his enlarged middle finger to stroke his scaly chin. "Including Kamall?" When the Nosaurian nodded, Necros stopped stroking his chin. "Well, this may get interesting after all. You're dismissed." The Nosaurian nodded, then marched off elsewhere. Once it cleared the room, Necros pushed a button on his desk. "Send her in."

Necros clasped his hands together, then hunkered down and waited. Within minutes, another Trandoshan walked into the room. It currently held a blaster rifle at a woman's back.

The captured woman had platinum blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, green eyes that had a hardened look about them, and was wearing a sleeveless shirt and leather pants that fit her form perfectly. It was the classic look of a female member of the Rogue Crusaders.

Necros smiled a sick grin as he unclasped his hands. "Ah, Kamall Zathur…I've been wondering if you'd show up." The woman merely scowled at him, binds keeping her hands behind her back. The black Trandoshan sighed an amused-sounding sigh, then ordered, "Leave us. She ain't goin' anywhere."

The other Trandoshan nodded, then turned tail and left the cave. Necros leaned over his desk and asked, "So Kamall how do you like Utapau?"

Kamall obviously didn't like Necros one bit. "I liked it better when you weren't on top." Kamall's voice was strong, and she had a clipped, Coruscanti accent (a British accent in other words).

Necros shook his head, but suddenly came back to this world when something came out of the darkness. It got so close to Kamall that she could smell its breath, and held a knife of sorts to her throat.

"I would watch your tongue if I were you, human." The shadowy beast hissed.

The room was light enough that Kamall could tell what her attacker was. It was a Barabel: a reptilian species native to the planet Barab I. He had lamplike, yellow eyes, four-fingered hands that terminated in claws, and a long tail trailing behind him. Its lizard-like mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and its scales were a midnight blue color. Unlike Necros, who was a Trandoshan, this Barabel wore boots. On this strange creature's belt was a huge variety of weapons: poison needles, short-range pistols, knives and daggers, small bombs, and two strange devices that hung on each hip. Its wardrobe was a typical combat suit.

The Barabel was slightly confused. Most people would be sweating and staring wide-eyed at the blade he wielded. Kamall wasn't fazed at all by his threat or his looks.

Necros chuckled slightly at this creature. "Settle down, Lethalis. I can handle this.

The Barabel known as Lethalis slowly lowered the dagger. He muttered something about ripping out her body organs, then stalked to Necros' side. He kept his yellow eyes on Kamall, though, with a look that could kill.

"Now, answer me a question, Kamall." Necros said, as though having tea with her, "Why won't you surrender to me?"

"Because what you're doing is against everything the New Republic stood for." Kamall answered, remaining strong even in the face of this threat.

Necros shook his head, then said, "I see that your father's foolish teachings have passed to you." He clacked his claws on the table, then said, "That's too bad. You would've made an excellent employee for me."

"You mean 'bodyguard' like your little lapdog, Lethalis." She corrected, earning a snarl from the Barabel.

A single gesture from the Trandoshan caused Lethalis to back down. "If you wanted to make a complaint, you came to the wrong sector." Necros said, fingering a blaster on his belt.

"I'm not fighting you to get anything." Kamall said, her eyes as hard as stone, "I fight you to show that not everyone's afraid of you. The Republic may fear you; I don't."

Necros scoffed. "Fear is my weapon, kid. It's a power that can't be handed to ya, ya gotta earn it." Necros' smile threatened to split his face open. "And ya think that, just because the Republic's so perfect, it don't mean everyone prefers it." Necros took out his blaster and pointed it right at Kamall before cocking it. "Now, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to fry your brains here and now. But I'm afraid I'd be doin' you a favor, puttin' ya outta your misery."

When Necros said that, he lowered his gun and put it back in the holster. "I'm starting to see how things really are, and I try to make you weaklings see what's right." Necros reasoned, "But in the end, people like the Rogue Crusaders are always so arrogant. The Republic is corrupt, so I try to bend it to the right way."

Kamall still remained silent, but then she spoke seven words full of everything she stood for. "You've fooled the Republic, but not me."

Necros sighed. "Fine. I've tried to be nice and follow your rules. But, I've kept that game up so long that it's not even fun anymore. So now, we're going to play my game, my rules." Necros turned to his loyal bodyguard. "Lethalis."

"Yes, my master?"

Necros pointed his enlarged middle finger at Kamall, then ordered, "Take her away. I'm off for Tatooine." He stood, then informed, "There's some business I need to settle with the Hutts. While I'm gone, take care of the fortress. And don't kill anyone unless you have to."

Lethalis remained silent, then merely said, "No promises."

Necros got up to leave the room, leaving Kamall in the darkness with Lethalis. The Barabel emitted a snarl-like hiss, then seized her by the shoulder and began to herd her out of the room for a prison cell.

_So that's what I've got, Chapter six will be called 'Enter: Kamall Zathur'. Who wants to know the secret ending to the Darkened Force? Okay here it is (Very long static). There I have told you the secret ending to Star Wars the Darkened Force, be happy. Just a quick notice I won't be updating for awhile, I'm going to take some time off because I have been on for almost a month, and I've barely read any stories. _


	6. Chapter 6: Rescue

Chapter 6: Rescue

_HELLO! This is Lunatic 121 bringing you the sixth chapter in the Darkened Force. Hope you enjoy it, R&R and make sure to keep it clean. I will take constructive criticism_

Haduun stared through the viewport of the Solar Phoenix's bridge, using the Force to try and find where to go next. IJ was sitting in a chair near the ship's main computer, doing a quick search on Jedi and of Sith alike. The Omni-droid had to get a general knowledge of Jedi who could help, Sith of the Jedi Trials, and any knowledge on the Force.

Haduun's eyes snapped open and he knew where to go next, although he was at a loss at why that was. However, that was the thing about the Force: you never get told why to go there, only that you should go there.

Haduun pressed a button on the dashboard. "Voice Command, set a course for Dagobah."

"Head towards the swamp planet?" the voice command asked, "No thanks. But I prefer to have all my circuits working."

Haduun rolled his eyes. "Looks like I have a few sarcasm circuit to remove…"

The Voice Command apparently heard him, because it warned, "I just thought I would warn you here and now. Anyone who touches my circuitry will be incinerated immediately."

"Just go there." Haduun ordered, "Or I'll be forced to revert to manual control and leave you in the hands of IR-JK."

"Fine." Voice command muttered, "It won't be dangerous for you. You'll be hiking around on land, while I will probably be stuck underwater. Need I remind you of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker on his first trip to Dagobah?"

"GO INTO A HYPERSPACE JUMP, OR HADUUN WILL PERSONALLY REPLACE YOU!!" IR-JK roared in frustration, then returned to whatever he was doing.

"Getting to it." Voice command sighed, "This is going to turn out to be a bad day, I just know it…"

After a VERY unneeded argument, the Solar Phoenix went into Hyperspace jump, coming to a stop over the jungle planet of Dagobah.

The ship landed on top of a patch of land with a bridge moving into the mainland. And the port opened as Haduun walked towards the great unknown. IJ took a few steps out, inspected his surroundings.

"Um…on second thought, I think I'll stay on the ship." The neurotic droid said, shuffling back onto the Solar Phoenix.

"Glad we can finally agree on something." The voice command admitted.

The instant he stepped onto the swampy ground, a flash filled the Jedi's eyes and a piercing pain shot through his head. Haduun fell to his knees, clutching his head as though it was going to split open. "Ugh…What's going on with me?!" he strained.

(Flashback…)

_A small boy was holding a lightsaber in front of the same tall man in the previous vision, the man was holding a purple lightsaber and laughing at the boy._

"_My student, you need to focus on more than just me." The big, dark-skinned man had a deep and powerful voice. "If you focus on just me, you'll get yourself killed."_

"_I'm trying, Master Zerda." The boy argued, trying again to stand back up. He was not hurt: just exhausted._

(End Flashback…)

Haduun lay on the ground and slowly let his eyes flutter open. He didn't know how he had ended up on the ground, or when it had happened; only that he was there. He slowly stood up, and felt something touch his neck mere moments after he had taken in what had happened.

"Don't move." A voice commanded.

Haduun shrugged and did as he was told. He didn't move at all, even as the voice's source, obviously a man's, pulled the gun away from his neck.

"Who are you?" the voice asked, still remaining quite stern.

"My name is Haduun Jaal." Haduun answered, keeping his cool, "I'm from Naboo."

Haduun could sense the man slowly nodding. "Did Necros send you?" the man asked.

A curious expression crossed Haduun's face. He had heard that name before: at the Jedi temple. "Necros?" he asked to himself, "I keep hearing that name, and yet I haven't even found out who he is."

"Put down your weapons and I might tell you."

Haduun sighed. THIS wasn't going to be easy. He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, and dropped it on the ground. Didn't matter. He could get it back easily, in case things got ugly. But it was completely unnecessary, as Haduun found out.

"A lightsaber?" the man asked, "You can turn around now."

Haduun turned around to see not one, but six people, all of whom were pointing blaster rifles at him. The person leading them had short-cut black hair, a black leather suit, and brown eyes. He looked a few years older than Haduun and the Jedi noticed a badge that looked like an encircled cross. Haduun also noticed that there were the remains of a destroyed escape pod only a few meters away.

"You sure you don't know who Necros is?" the lead man asked.

"Absolutely." Haduun answered, "I interrogated someone who was working for him, and he answered with the same name."

The brown-haired man smiled, then put his blaster back in the holster. He held out his hand. "Sorry for the threats." He apologized, "My name is Natthan Calhoun."

Haduun shook his hand, returning with a casual smile. "As I said before, my name is Haduun Jaal. Now, can I pick up my lightsaber?"

Natthan chuckled. "Sure thing."

Haduun reached out with the Force, and his lightsaber flew into his hand. Natthan saw what happened, then raised a brow as he stroked his chin. "A Jedi Knight?" Natthan asked, "We don't get any of those guys anymore."

"I know. Not since they were all killed." Haduun said, clipping the lightsaber back to his belt. "You want to leave this planet? By the looks of things you can't get anywhere."

Natthan shrugged. "Depends. You have a ship?" Haduun nodded and a smile spread across Natthan's face. "Well, let's get going then. I'm sick of this planet already and I've only been here for a few hours."

Haduun led the way back to the Solar Phoenix, and they entered through the port. "It's a tight fit, but we should all fit. Voice command?" Haduun called out, "Get us out of here."

"Oh, thank goodness, you came back." The voice command said, "A swamp monster came inside after you left. It ripped apart IR-JK and nearly destroyed me."

Haduun didn't really buy it, and his thoughts were confirmed when the unmistakable voice came into a storage bay. "That didn't happen!" IJ objected, "He just got irritated because I asked for a list of Jedi Masters, then stuffed me in here!"

"I'll go get him out." Natthan said, going over to the storage room.

"Voice command, get us OUT OF HERE!" Haduun repeated, a little angry at this thing's defiance.

The voice command, on the other hand, would have rolled its eyes. "Oh, sure. It's always 'Voice Command do this', or 'Voice command do that'." It complained, "Nobody ever appreciates what I do."

After one last scolding from Haduun, the Solar Phoenix took off into space. Haduun got IJ out of the closet, and they all sat down in the main bridge's bunk beds. There and then, Haduun spotted the symbol on Natthan's shoulder: the circle with a cross inside of it.

"So, what does that symbol mean?" the Jedi asked, trying to strike conversation.

Natthan gestured to the symbol, and Haduun nodded. "You don't KNOW?!"

"Excuse me for being on a peaceful planet most of my life." Haduun said, trying not to be rude. The voice command, however, chose to.

"You're excused."

"Voice Command, shut down." Haduun ordered.

"I really hate you, and you know that?" voice command asked, moments before Haduun reached into the force and shut it down. It's hold it for a moment or so.

"Back to the conversation." Haduun said, "What does that symbol mean?"

"It's the symbol of the Rogue Crusaders." Natthan answered.

IR-JK tilted to the side slightly. "Rogue Crusaders?" he asked, "Can't say I've heard of them."

Natthan sighed to himself. "Maybe I should start right from the beginning…" As soon as IJ and Haduun had settled down, Natthan began his little tale.

"At least ten years ago, a Trandoshan crime lord named Necros came to power. He started as no more than a petty thief in the Coruscant underground, but slowly, he spread his underground empire up to the high-levels. In just three years, he started taking over entire systems. He uses fear to control his enemies, keeping people too scared to try anything against him.

"The Rogue Crusaders are a group of people determined to stop Necros once and for all. The Republic used to be a proud foundation, but with Necros keeping it under his thumb, it's in a sorry state. We plan to bring peace back to the galaxy and rebuild the Republic.

Natthan shook his head. "However, this is more difficult than we thought, and he recently captured most of our organization. He captured five of our starships along with our leader Kamall Zathur."

Haduun thought this over. If these guys were going to help the galaxy become peaceful again, he had to do what was right. "Where has Necros taken them?"

Natthan looked up, then answered, "He took all the captives to Utapau. What you see before you is all who managed to escape."

Haduun took in the number of soldiers; there weren't that many at all. Soon, he knew what he had to do. "I promise you Rogue Crusaders…I'll help in any way I can."

Natthan's eyes widened in shock. "Seriously?" he asked in disbelief.

Haduun nodded, but suddenly noticed something pulling him. The Force was calling him towards a planet called Cholganna. He had never heard the planet in his life, yet he knew about its location and its habitats in an instant.

"Seriously." Haduun assured him, "But…we have to go to Cholganna first."

Natthan gave Haduun a weird look. "Cholganna? You mean that Nexu infested planet?"

Haduun nodded. "I don't know why, but the Force is pulling me there." He said, closing his eyes slightly, then opened up. "Wait a minute, I have to meditate on this thing…"

Haduun stood up, then moved to another part of the ship: one that wasn't packed with soldiers and obnoxious machines.

----

Haduun took a seat away from the main hangar bay, sat with his legs folded, and slowly closed his eyes. He let all distractions out of his mind, clearing his mind of all thought. When all thought, senses, and distractions were out of his mind, he saw someone in front of him: a man with white Jedi robes, long brown hair, and a lightsaber clipped to his belt.

"_Who are you?" _Haduun asked.

The man answered, _"In life I was Qui-Gon Jinn."_

Haduun stared with slight awe. Master Jinn was the teacher of the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, but had been dead for centuries. _"Qui-Gon?"_ Haduun asked in awe. THIS was the Jedi Master who discovered a way to become one with the Force, yet still retain consciousness.

"_Wait a minute."_ Haduun said, a thought coming to his head, _"Was it you who took over my body and helped me escape Eradicus?"_

"_Not entirely. I merely tapped into the Living Force inside of you"_ Qui-Gon answered, _"You wouldn't have survived if I hadn't."_

Haduun nodded in understanding. _"Why does the Force want me to go to Cholganna?"_

"_In your memories, you always see a man with an arm in a sling." _Qui-Gon answered in a sagely tone, _"The Force has something special in store for you. But to achieve your destiny, you must trust it."_

Haduun slowly nodded. It kind of made sense, but there were still a few things he had to sort out. _"How did I lose my memories?"_

"_It is not my place to tell you."_ Qui-Gon answered, _"But I am sure it will come to you in time. I trust that you understand?"_

"_Yeah."_ Haduun answered, _"But who is the man who was training me? Is he even alive?"_

There was a brief pause as Qui-Gon asked the Force the same question. An answer came soon enough. _"He is the Jedi Master, Nasua Zerda."_

"_Nasua Zerda…"_ Haduun said to himself, committing the name to memory, _"But how is he important to this?"_

"_I am afraid that will be up to the Force." _Qui-Gon answered, _"Be patient, young Jedi. The Force will not let you down."_

Haduun was quiet for a long time. But when he spoke again, he asked, _"My last question is…will I live when this is over?"_

"_I don't know."_ Qui-Gon answered truthfully, _"The Force doesn't tell the future to all, only what is the right thing to do."_

A shudder ran through Haduun's body, but when it cleared, he knew what had to be done. _"I understand. Thank you."_

Qui-Gon gave an affectionate smile, then ordered, _"Go, and make haste. We don't have much time."_

----

Haduun's eyes opened at the exact same time, no blinking or wincing. Slowly, he made his way towards the ship's cockpit.

"Voice command." Haduun ordered, taking a seat in the pilot chair.

"That's me." It said in a cool, male voice.

"Set a course for Cholganna." He ordered.

"Oh sure. It's alright for you." The voice command said, sarcastically, "You've got a lightsaber and what do I have? A shiny surface, that's what."

"CHOLGANNA!"

Just before going into hyperspace jump, the voice command gave a credible reproduction of a sigh, then muttered, "I'm going to MALFUNCTION…"

Haduun walked out of the Solar Phoenix and set foot on the grassy landscape of one of Cholganna's grasslands. Cholganna was a lush world, full of plants and animals of every shape and size. Finding something here would be ANYTHING but easy. Before he could even change his mind, Haduun dashed out into the jungle, ready for whatever awaited him.

A few minutes of running, and Haduun slowed to a stop and tried to regain his breath. Something rustled in the bushes and Haduun's lightsaber found his hand in an instant. Haduun squinted at the place where he heard the noise, his whole body tense with caution. Just as he was about to move on, his caution was confirmed when something jumped at him from the undergrowth with a snarl. With lightning-fast reflexes, Haduun stepped to the side and slashed at his attacker. Haduun heard a yelp from the figure, and a second later, heard it hit the ground. Haduun turned around and saw that it was a Nexu: a catlike predator with quills, a wide mouth, claws, and six eyes that could see infrared. The nexu had a slash wound on its belly and lay sprawled out on the ground.

Remembering that nexus lived in packs, and in rather large numbers for that fact, Haduun moved quickly away from the kill. He had only moved a few feet away from the dead beast when he heard more yelps similar to the one he killed. He searched the area, trying to find where the noise was coming from. He moved aside a few bushes to see a man, the same man from his visions, killing nexus with deadly precision. He still had the arm in a sling, and was wielding a purple lightsaber with his free hand. His robe, however, was tattered, and he had a knot of hair tied up at the back of his head. Three nexus still remained and had encircled him, snarling hungrily. Haduun felt that the Jedi Master had it under control, so he didn't interfere.

In just one second, faster than Haduun could blink, all three Nexus pounced. The next second, all three Nexus were on the ground at the man's feet, never to rise again…and in pieces. However, Haduun had seen what had happened: the man had killed them all by simply spinning in a circle, and a fan of purple plasma had sheared right through them.

Haduun moved closer and a twig snapped under his foot. Quick as a flash, the dark-skinned man jumped at the place where Haduun was standing and slid his lightsaber in between the bushes. The lightsaber hung a few inches from Haduun's face.

"Show yourself…" The man's deep, powerful voice had a demanding note ringing in it.

Haduun slowly stood, the man's lightsaber following his movement. When he stood at full height, he said, "Alright. Here I am. Now, are you going to kill me?"

"Tell me who you are right now, or I just might…" The master said, his lightsaber still in hand. The man took in Haduun's face and hair, then stared at him in shock. When he spoke again, his voice was almost trembling. "It can't be…" The man lowered his lightsaber. "HADUUN?!"

Haduun nodded, then asked, "Wait, how do you know my name?"

The man ignored his question with one of his own. "How did you survive?"

Haduun, deciding to go with the flow, answered, "I don't know."

"YOU DON'T KNOW?!" the man asked in surprise.

Haduun nodded, then hung his head slightly. "I'm afraid I've…lost some of my memories."

"Even of me?"

Haduun nodded again. "I only remember a few fragments…but I know I've seen you before."

The man nodded with slight approval, then clipped his lightsaber back to his belt. "Well, then, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Jedi Master…"

"Nasua Zerda." Haduun finished.

Master Zerda paused, then nodded slowly as he put his free finger to his chin. "Yes. But, why, pray tell, are you here?"

"I've been looking for you." Haduun answered, "I want you to come with me."

Nasua shook his head, somewhat-sorrowfully, "It's too late for that now."

Haduun took a step back in surprise. "WHAT?" he asked, "But someone said you could help. We need your help to bring peace back to the galaxy. I need your help to KILL him!"

Nasua raised a brow, causing a tan scar over his eyebrow to move slightly. "To kill who or what?" he asked, "There's a lot of scum that the galaxy wants dead."

"There are two in particular." Haduun answered, "One's named Necros, and the other is Darth Eradicus."

Nasua shook his head again. "Again, it's too late for action now." He looked Haduun in the eye, then growled, "I have raided Necros' supply line, killed off battalions of his troops, and even helped wipe out his star fleets. But still he spread across the galaxy like a plague, coming back stronger than ever." He raised his face to look down on Haduun and added, "As for Eradicus, I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Why not?" Haduun asked, sternly.

"I FOUGHT Eradicus and I lost." Nasua answered, "And it's because of me that the Jedi Order lost their war with the Sith!"

"How did this happen?" Haduun asked. On receiving no answer, he ordered in a sharp bark, "TELL ME!"

Nasua didn't flinch, then answered, "I was the only one who could stand up to Eradicus. And after he wounded me, I ran." Master Zerda's teeth were clenched, and he put more emphasis in "ran". After letting the words sink in, Zerda continued, "Ran, like a coward. That's all I am now, a coward who hides in the jungle, waiting for the day of his death."

Haduun remained stern, then pointed out, "The Force directed me here to find you. It wanted me to find you and bring this galaxy to justice."

Nasua kept his own stone-cold look, then pointed with his right hand. "Go."

"I'm not leaving without you." Haduun growled back, "The Sith are spreading throughout the galaxy, and I can't fight him alone. I need, the whole GALAXY needs YOUR HELP!"

"I already told you it's too late." Nasua filled in, "No one needs me. I failed them before, what makes you think I won't fail again?"

Haduun gave Master Zerda one last piercing glare, then huffed. "Fine. Stay in this forest till you die. Act like a coward for the rest of your life while the galaxy suffers at the hands of Eradicus AND Necros." He turned his back on Master Zerda, then said, "I thought you could help us…but now it's apparent that this is my duty."

Haduun stalked off into the jungle depths, his lightsaber in hand…just in case a nexu got cocky. However, right behind him, Nasua Zerda seemed to give this a thought and chuckled to himself. _"Boy's got spirit. I'll give him that…"_

Haduun arrived at the Solar Phoenix, right where he left it when he landed on this lush world. The ship lowered its bridge and Haduun walked in.

"Voice Command, set a course Utapau." The Jedi said, in almost a growl.

Voice Command seemed to recognize this tone, because it matched him with sarcasm. "Well, 'hello' to you, too. Is this how you treat ALL your computers?"

"I said 'UTAPAU'!"

Voice Command would have flinched if it was human. "Ouch. Why do you shout so much?"

IJ walked up to Haduun, the droid cocking its head in curiosity. "Haduun? What's the voice command done THIS time?"

"Have I really become THAT predictable?" Voice Command asked.

Haduun sighed. "Oh, it's nothing." He admitted, disdainfully, "Just that the person I just came for didn't want to come."

IR-JK walked into the room at that time, then asked, "You came because of another Jedi?" IJ actually sounded amazed.

"Master Nasua Zerda," Haduun said with a nod, "But it doesn't matter now. He won't come."

"Nasua Zerda?" IJ asked, "You mean the Jedi Grandmaster?"

"Excuse me, Haduun?" the voice command asked, "I'm afraid I'm unable to take off."

Haduun sighed. "Whatever it is, just take off."

"I'm not joking this time." Voice command deadpanned, "My thrusters are on full capacity and yet I can't move an inch above the ground. Watch."

The thrusters of the ship hit full power, but all the ship did was buck violently. Anyone not secured in their seats, like IR-JK, was knocked off their feet.

Haduun had a sudden thought as the engines slowed and all things returned to normal. "Maybe…"

Haduun walked over to the viewport and saw that Nasua Zerda was using the Force to hold them down. "Open the drawbridge."

Voice Command heaved a sigh. "I need a vacation one of these days."

The drawbridge opened up and Nasua stepped inside to meet Haduun. "That offer of yours still up?"

"Thought you didn't want to come." Haduun suggested.

"What you said to me, boy…it changed me." Nasua answered, "For the last ten years, I've hidden in the jungle. But your spirit has given me reason to fight again." He gave Haduun a clap on the shoulder, then asked, "So what do you say? Should we send this Sith packing?"

Haduun smirked at the Jedi Master. "Thought you'd never ask."

Suddenly, Natthan walked in. "Hey, Haduun, what was that force that knocked me out of my…" Natthan paused at the sight of Master Zerda. "ANOTHER JEDI?!" he asked, wide-eyed, "Will the universe ever run out of tricks?"

"Don't think so." Haduun answered, "Especially considering that my sister has Force powers too."

Natthan stammered something about the Force, then promptly fainted on the spot. Nasua, however, asked, "Your sister?"

"Yeah, her name is Alleina." Haduun filled in, "So, ready to go yet?"

"You know I am." Zerda filled in.

"I was talking to the Voice Command." Haduun pointed out.

"Specify next time." The voice command ordered, "Achieving lift-off…no thanks to that Jedi."

The ship jumped into a Hyperspace jump and came to a halt in the atmosphere of the semi-desert planet of Utapau.

Haduun was about to step out when Nasua stopped him with one hand. "No, Haduun. We're all coming."

Natthan stood up, nodding in agreement. "Yeah. The more of us go through, the better chance we have of this working."

"I agree, too, master." IJ said, before promptly saying, "Well, be sure to get back safely. I'll just wait here."

Haduun thought it over quick, then said, "I'm including you, too, IJ."

IR-JK froze in place, then put a hand on his "mouth" and shouted, "WHAT?! But you saw how Eradicus virtually turned me into scrap metal!"

"I know that, but you are also equipped with medical skills." Haduun countered, "So you will help the injured in any way you can."

IJ came as close to a sigh as a droid can get, then asked, "But, what about Necros? Won't he try to kill us all?"

"You see, that's where we lucked out." Natthan said, holding up a finger, "I just got news that he left for Tatooine: some business with the Hutts."

"Excellent." Zerda said, proudly, "With him out of the way, we can sneak in without him detecting us."

"But we still have to worry about Lethalis…" Natthan pointed out, "Necros' right-hand man, and top assassin."

"Bring your troops, too, Natthan." Haduun advised.

"Don't worry." Natthan assured him, "We were planning on it."

When the Solar Phoenix landed on one of the lower areas of the massive sinkhole cities of Utapau, the troops stealthily exited, being very sure to keep a low profile.

"Alright, Haduun, you go in the main entryway and get the attention of as many soldiers as you can." Natthan said, putting his military skills to the test, "The rest of us will be free the prisoners, along with the rest of the pilots and ship crew. We'll need Nasua, just in case any of the guards attempt to kill us."

"You've got yourself a deal." Nasua said, his right hand hidden behind his back.

"Hmm. Large chance of death, and a small chance of success." Haduun said, weighing the odds, "But it's better than nothing…Let's go."

Nasua shook Haduun's hand with a strong, firm grip. "Good luck, Haduun."

"Same to you, and more of it, Nasua." Haduun said, nodding back at him.

The two parties went their separate ways: Haduun went into the main tunnel while the rest of the group went down a side tunnel. The first attempt at saving the galaxy was now in hand.

----

Haduun stealthily made his way through the tunnels until he came into a giant room with mechanics working on ships and guards searching the area for anything out-of-the-ordinary. Haduun paused, then ducked into the doorway. He then prepared for something he had never done before. During all of the battles Haduun had ever fought in, he had never struck first. He considered it a way of honor, but the current situation was different: he needed to strike first if he was to be successful.

Haduun gathered all his force energy in his hands, then turned it into a Force Push. With a flex of his arms, he sent it at the mechanics and the guards. He was surprised on how much damage it made and how powerful it was. It wasn't just a pulse that only got everything in its way as Haduun meant it to be. The pulse was a shockwave that sent everything flying through the air from living beings to pieces of the walls.

Haduun almost collapsed from the experience: the Force allowed him to sense living things and to sense them all evaporate was devastating. He shook it out of his head, getting to his feet in seconds.

"Great."Haduun thought to himself, "I gotta get out of here before I get…" he froze as he reached a doorway…someone was there to meet him. "Caught."

"A Jedi?" the being in the door asked.

Haduun looked up to see the same Barabel that was with Necros. He had just arrived at the door, his needle-like teeth clenched.

"Lethalis?" Haduun said, keeping a wary eye on this lizard.

The Barabel halted and paused, he had to admit he was curious. Eventually, he went along with it. "Yes." He answered, "Let me guess…You got that information from these people?"

Lethalis stepped to the side and showed Haduun that Natthan, Nasua, and Kamall (Although Haduun has no idea who she is) were captured and were bound together.

"What happened?" Haduun asked in surprise.

"I don't know." Natthan answered, trying to shake the cobwebs from his head, "One minute, we were freeing our leader Kamall Zathur…" Natthan nodded towards the woman to emphasize his point. "Next minute, it turned pitch-black and we were brought here."

_Lethalis is a Barabel, so night vision is his specialty…not surprised._ Haduun pulled out his lightsaber and a bar of blue plasma erupted from his fist.

If Lethalis was supposed to be impressed, he wasn't. "Well, let's see how good you are, Jedi." Lethalis hissed, reaching for the handle of a blaster, "It's always fun to watch a Jedi die."

Lethalis quickly pulled out the blaster and fired a burst of red energy at Haduun. Haduun blocked the oncoming bolt with ease, however the Barabel simply kept moving. Unlike some of the duller beings that Haduun faced, Lethalis knew better than to stay in one place. He would leap aside as bolts were reflected back at him, often springing off walls dashed at him and shot a few more times. Haduun blocked all of them and charged at Lethalis and was prepared to slice his arm off. However the Barabel jumped over him and did a forward flip in the air, blaster still in hand. While he was still airborne, right above Haduun, and upside down, he shot at him again.

This situation would have killed any normal person, but Haduun was far from a normal person. Haduun quickly stopped and spun his lightsaber through the air above him. The result was that he sliced the blasters in half with his lightsaber. Lethalis landed on the other side of Haduun and looked at his now useless blasters, which had barrels that ended in red-hot molten metal.

Lethalis tossed the remnants of his blasters away and Haduun advanced. The Jedi was about to slice the Barabel's head off with his lightsaber, when Lethalis put his hand forward and Haduun went flying back several feet.

When Haduun skidded on his back, he realized what this beast had just done. He got back to his feet, then turned towards Natthan and the others. "YOU DIDN'T TELL ME HE WAS A SITH LORD WHY?!"

Natthan shrugged. "I thought that if you knew, you wouldn't come."

Haduun suddenly felt betrayed by Natthan, but right now, he didn't have time to stop and shout at him some more. Lethalis had spread his hands out like claws. "Oh well…" the reptile hissed, "Secret's out."

Two lightsaber hilts unclipped themselves from his belt and into his hands and hissed to life in bursts of crimson energy. The lightsabers were abnormally small: about half the length of his lightsaber. Haduun recognized these weapons as lightdaggers: weapons built specially for close-range combat. Haduun suddenly realized what kind of danger he was in: the length of Lethalis' blades would involve very close combat, and the chances of being stabbed had increased dramatically.

Lethalis sprang like a predator, surprising Haduun with such amazing speed and agility, and landed less than two meters away from the Jedi. Lethalis struck at Haduun with the lightdaggers, ready to plunge them into the Jedi's body and end the fight there and then. Haduun blocked one lightdagger with his lightsaber and stopped Lethalis' other hand with the Force. Suddenly, Haduun's Force grip failed and he flipped backward to avoid losing a limb. When he did land, Lethalis was there to meet him again and Haduun raised his lightsaber to block one lightdagger, spinning in a kind of pirouette to block the other. At such close range, combat was difficult with Haduun's longer weapon, whereas the shorter weapons of Lethalis provided better mobility.

Lethalis advanced, each step an attack and each attack a step, and his lightdaggers were no more than scarlet fans of energy. Both locked blades, pushing against each other as hard as they could, their lightsabers crackling. Haduun spun, forcing Lethalis away, then used the Force to push the lizard-like being backward. Lethalis flipped in midair and landed on his feet. Haduun, however, whipped around and used the Force to free the prisoners.

"Natthan! Get everyone out of here!" Haduun ordered.

Natthan nodded, then beckoned for everyone to follow. They did without question.

Haduun was about to turn around to face Lethalis again when Nasua stuck his hand in front of him. "I'll handle this." The Jedi Master assured him, "It's been a long time since I fought a Sith Lord, I'll have to remember what it feels like."

Master Zerda pulled out his lightsaber as Lethalis stalked towards them and a blade of Amethyst energy met the lizard, narrowly burning a hole in his forehead. "TWO JEDI?!" Lethalis said in surprise.

Nasua smiled. "You got off easy with Haduun." He pointed out, "You won't get the same pleasure from me." Lethalis snarled and dashed at Haduun, however Nasua grabbed him with the force and threw the Barabel back to the ground. "If you're so powerful, then why leave?" he asked

Lethalis staggered back to his feet and emitted a hiss-like growl at the Jedi. "You ran from us before, Jedi. What makes you so sure you won't do it again?"

Lethalis jumped up and slashed at Nasua with a lightdagger, Nasua blocked it with inhuman speed. Lightning crackled between them until both went into a momentary retreat. "Go, free the prisoners, Haduun!" Nasua barked, "He's all mine!"

Lethalis remained a good distance from Nasua, then pulled out a small metal bar on his belt. "There are over three thousand guards in this facility," Lethalis hissed, "All of which are supposed to go and protect the prisoners from intruders if I press this button." Lethalis' smile widened as he pressed the button at the top of the bar. Since no sound came, it had to be the silent alarm.

Nasua turned on Haduun. "Quickly!"

Haduun didn't need to be told twice: he made for the tunnel, running into the escaped prisoners along the way. There were still a few prisoners left to release, after all.

The platinum-blonde woman, Kamall, turned to look at Haduun as they ran. "Who are you?"

"A friend." Haduun answered, "That's all I can tell you for now."

Haduun saw a long line of prison cells down the tunnel, all of which were locked and Haduun also saw that a large crowd of creatures were hurrying down the tunnel, blaster rifles at the ready.

"YOU!" Kamall said, catching Haduun's eye in an instant, "YOU'RE the Jedi! DO SOMETHING!"

Haduun paused, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he focused all his Force powers on one thing. Haduun achieved something that day that no other Jedi or Sith had ever done before. He moved so fast that everything around him appeared to have stopped…even the blaster bolts. Haduun opened his eyes and to his amazement he saw what he had achieved. Haduun took his lightsaber and gently tapped one of the blaster bolts with it. The blaster bolt crackled and disappeared in an instant. Haduun set to business there and then. He had no time to examine what he had done, for he knew that time was slipping.

Haduun took out all the blaster bolts just as the Force Speed wore off and the guards stared in awe that he had moved so fast. Haduun used the Force again to push the stunned guards farther down the tunnel. With another flick of the Force, the locks of the prison cells released.

"There's no time to explain." Haduun said, urgently, "JUST GET TO YOUR SHIPS!"

The prisoners didn't seem to want to disagree on the matter, for they ran towards the port without question. Haduun turned his head towards Kamall, he noticed that she was around Natthan's age and was avoiding Natthan's gaze.

"Let's get to my ship." Haduun advised, "There should be room for a few troops."

Haduun turned around to see Nasua. "Lethalis ran away from me." The Jedi Grandmaster explained, "I couldn't catch him, the slippery little reptile that he is. Now, let's leave before Necros returns."

Haduun nodded, then led the way to the Solar Phoenix and they ran inside. "Voice Command." Haduun ordered.

"Yes? I'm your ever-lasting servant, I have no will of my own…no will of my own." Voice command said in a mock-robotic voice.

"Cut the sarcasm and get us out of here before you get turned to scrap metal." Haduun ordered.

"Care to make a specification?" Voice command asked, "I would like to know where you're going."

Haduun was getting impatient with the Voice Command as he always did. "I don't care where, just get us out of here."

"Okay. But don't complain." Voice command said in a warning voice.

As the ship rose from the ground, Haduun turned his attention towards the viewport. He saw exactly what he wanted to see: a huge number of airships rising from the ground as well. Haduun was impressed with the number of ships, along with the rather large ship in the front. If they were meeting somewhere, he wanted to be a part of it and fight for the Republic's freedom.

Haduun suddenly felt a strange presence somewhere far away. It didn't feel like any other darkness he had ever felt before. It felt like something confused…lost, even.

IJ appeared next to Haduun. "Ah, Master. Thank the maker you're alive!" he said, his hand over his non-existent heart.

Haduun gave his droid a strange look, then asked, "Where were you during all this?"

IR-JK cocked his head to one side. "You know, it's the strangest thing." IJ said, plainly, "I was helping a girl who had sprained her ankle."

Haduun raised a brow. "Girl?" he asked, "What did she look like?"

"She looked amazingly like Alleina…only in Jedi Robes." IJ answered, pretty much clueless on the whole thing.

Haduun's face tightened slightly. "Wait here just a minute, please." Haduun used the Force to search the ship and found someone huddled in the cargo hold. _Stowaways…_he thought.

Haduun walked over to the cargo hold and with a wave of his hand, opened it with the Force. Just as he suspected, there was Alleina in brown robes and with a guilty smile on her face. "Umm…Hi?" she said, waving nervously.

Haduun gave her a look of sternness mixed with confusion. "Alleina? How'd you get on board? More importantly, how long have you been on the ship?"

"To answer your questions, I used a spare ship on Polis Massa to track you." She answered, "And I've been on here since your trip to the Jedi Temple."

Haduun beckoned for her to come forward. "Get out of the storage." He said. He wasn't angry, just prompting her out.

Alleina walked out, and Haduun noticed that she had a small limp in her leg. "Where'd you get those robes, and what happened to your leg?" Haduun asked.

Alleina looked down at what she was wearing, then shrugged. "I just…found these in your room back on Naboo. They were my size and you didn't use them anymore, so I figured 'why not'? And for my leg…I took a bad step, but that droid you made is a miracle worker."

Haduun folded his arms across his chest. "Now, you realize that if I was father, I'd shout at you."

Alleina held up her index finger and said, "Ah. But, you're not dad."

"True. But while I'm happy you are here, you must realize that you're in danger here." Haduun said, seriously.

"I know…" Alleina said, solemnly, "But I want to restore the Republic. I was only little, but I remember what it was like before."

"Voice Command, I thought I told you to get us OUT OF HERE!" Haduun said, taking his attention off his sister for the moment.

"If you are still not sure of destination, may I suggest following the Rogue Crusaders?" Voice Command asked.

Haduun cursed himself for not asking that sooner, then said, "Yes. Just follow them."

"Okay." Voice Command said, nodding if it had a head, "Just don't shout at me if we go somewhere horrible."

"No promises."

Haduun walked towards a window and suddenly felt that strange presence: a confused shadow was out there. Alleina walked over and noticed her brother. "What?"

Haduun shook his head slightly, trying to make sense of what was going on in his head. "I sense a dark presence out there…"

"Eradicus?" Alleina asked, remembering the Sith Lord all-too-well.

Haduun shook his head, this time to answer Alleina's question. "No. It's someone else." Turning to his inner mind, he thought to himself, _But it's not quite the shadow I expected. It's…lost…confused…scared, possibly._

Meanwhile, back on the planet Utapau, Necros was standing in front of Lethalis and a wolf-like Shistavanen alien. Necros had his back turned to them, staring out at the massive sinkhole.

"Let me put this to you as delicately as I can…" Necros paused a second, fingering something on his belt. "You're all…A BUNCH OF USELESS WORMS!"

Necros turned around and suddenly pulled out a blaster. Before anyone could say anything, the black Trandoshan shot the Shistavanen in the face…it was dead in an instant.

Necros turned his attention towards Lethalis, rage in the Trandoshan's eyes. "WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THEM?!"

"There were two Jedi there, my master." Lethalis hissed in response, "I was outnumbered…"

"TWO Jedi?" Necros snorted. "Is that all? I've taken on Jedi and killed them all on the same occasion. So, DON'T say you're outclassed by two Jedi and then call it quits."

"I knew it." Another voice exclaimed, "I've finally found you…Darth Necros."

Necros turned towards the figure who had spoken and found that it was none other than Eradicus. The other Dark Lord had his helmet on, whereas Necros examined him looking a little skeptical.

In the end, Necros growled, "Sorry, bub, but this is a private meeting and you're not invited."

"I know." Eradicus said, casually walking closer to Necros.

Necros fingered something on his belt, then snarled, "You're dead meat, punk: thinkin' you can just walk in here."

Eradicus cocked his head to the side slightly, then asked, "Am I? And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Because according to the law of Darth Bane, the founder of the new Sith Order, there are only supposed to be two Sith Lords at a time." Necros growled, pointing his enlarged middle finger at Eradicus, "You broke the law of Bane, so beat it!"

Eradicus shook his head. "Quite the opposite. I'm afraid that it is you who broke that law, not me." Eradicus reached out with the Force and proceeded to lift Necros up off the ground. "I was here first, weakling, not you."

Necros showed no fear when caught in Eradicus' hold, but merely broke his Force grip, and shot Sith Lightning on Eradicus. Eradicus caught it using the Force with one hand and lifted Lethalis up off the ground with the other. Necros raised a brow, then his lightning died down, and just as he suspected, Eradicus did not lower the Barabel.

Lethalis tried escaping Eradicus' Force Grip by using his own Force powers, but it was apparent that Eradicus was MUCH stronger than Lethalis. Lethalis didn't even lower in the slightest.

"What do you want?" Necros asked, his eyes narrowing.

Eradicus raised a brow under his helmet, then released Lethalis, who in turn fell to the floor. As Lethalis took a good lung full of air, Eradicus answered, "All I want are a few lightsaber crystals."

Lethalis stood to his full height once more, then asked, "Now what do you want with a few jewels?"

Eradicus whirled on Lethalis and barked, "SILENCE!" Once Lethalis backed down with a hiss, Eradicus turned back to Necros. "To get back to business, I want lightsaber crystals for my own reasons. And I believe I can help you with your Jedi problem. I know the first one is Haduun Jaal. The second one is a guess, but it could be Jedi Grandmaster Nasua Zerda."

Necros fingered his scaly chin, then spat on the floor and asked, "How 'bout we make a deal?" He nicked something from his teeth, then asked, "You kill one of these two Jedi and I will give you one of my crystals." Necros could feel Eradicus' sense of amusement, then held out his three-fingered hand. "So…do we have a deal?"

Eradicus looked at the Trandoshan's clawed hand, then said, "We have a deal. Pardon me if I don't shake your hand, but I'm not foolish."

Necros nodded slightly. "You are good. Now, when can I expect one of those Jedi to die?"

"My apprentice has gone to go kill the Jedi Haduun Jaal right now." Eradicus answered.

Lethalis hissed through clenched teeth as he spoke. "How do we know you're not lying?"

Eradicus turned to the Barabel, then answered, "Because I'm a man of my word."

Necros scoffed, then pointed his enlarged finger at Eradicus. "You're a liar on both accounts, y'know that?" he asked, "One: I know that if you're a Sith, so 'a man of your word' means nothing to me. And secondly, you aren't a man…not human anyway."

"Well, you can either trust ME to kill these Jedi, or you can trust your apprentice." Eradicus said, gesturing to Lethalis, who growled in fury. A look from Necros was enough to make him back down, though. "Now, I must leave for…personal matters. I will return when my apprentice contacts me."

Eradicus then left Necros and Lethalis in the dark cavern, awaiting the day his apprentice would contact him.

_So what did you think? Now please read and review. _

_P.S. Stay INSANE!_

_P.S.S. The seventh chapter will be called Light vs. Dark? (Only use questioning tone on dark)_


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